The Wonderful Wonderful Life it is!!

The Tenth Commandment

2009-07-13T22:32:00.001-07:00

“Of all the thirty six alternatives, running away is the best”, so goes a Chinese proverb. By abolishing the Tenth board exam, soon we shall also be dumping all other alternatives of providing a more congenial process of examining young individuals. The vestige of board exams in the forthcoming years will make our generation look exaggerated and insanely dedicated to something purported as trauma and distress. The incipient idea is attracting widespread endorsement, not-so-surprisingly from students & those in areas of art, human rights etc but surprisingly from scientists (Dr.Yashpal himself), school principals & parents too. The need of the hour is not exactly to debate on the topic per se, but to have an insight into the implications it might have in future, which unfortunately is unknown to any of us.

Tenth class happens to be the first checkpoint for the assessment of a student, providing him with a certified progress report. It is the first test that a student faces where the ‘demanding ghost’ presents itself to adjudge whether a student proceeds with a mathematics, biology, commerce or humanities stream. Now let us imagine a situation wherein 10th board is scrapped and students are allowed to choose the stream they are ‘passionate’ about. If we have an insight into the fantasizing mind of students, most of them would want to become Michael Jackson or Bryan Adams or Sachin Tendulkar or Angelina Jolie. Who would dream of working in the coal mine as an engineer at that stage of life? In a similar fashion, all those who dreamt of being Einstein and devise a new calculus theory will get a seat in the science stream? So do we, as seniors, just allow them to proceed in the name of chasing their passions? Where is that fine line which separates the hobby, the fantasy or the dream from the reality? Yesterday, I saw Chetan Bhagat arguing in a debate show, that for every SRK made, there are thousand others in bollywood who are jobless. In response, everybody asked him “So What?”. In the name of what-do-you-really-wanna-do, shall we simply (mis-)guide everybody to pursue whatever they want to? Don’t we, as elders realize the hard work it needs to be at the position which everybody dreams of? And finally are we conveying this to the budding individuals? Who will be responsible for the utter frustration that results to certain individuals after realizing that they are just not made for the choice they made? Then we will try to simplify those areas too so that everyone can survive. Finally, we will end up simplifying everything so much so that we will see potential Newtons striking the ball while capable Amitabh Bacchans working in a chemistry lab!

There is another aspect of the SSC that we might overlook in the conversation. Whether we take science or commerce stream, there are certain things which one should know as educated person. With the exams becoming more of a paltry thing, we might just forget what is photosynthesis, who wrote Macbeth, what does demand-supply mean, the great legacy of Ashoka and the plant & animal cells. There will be abundant opposers who will argue that knowing these things is unnecessary, but lest we aim at degrading the quality of educated mob in the name of reducing stress, these things are learnt only by a test before we take over our respective streams.

Finally we discuss those areas where the 10th class result plays a direct role. Admission to coveted IIMs in India take into account school, college & work performance. For colleges, it is the semester/year wise report card that comes handy. For work experienced people, their Bosses write a letter of recommendation in some cases to support the candidature. But with the abolition of school exams, what about school record? Does it imply that schooling, at one point in time, will just become a redundant activity? The age at which students should have learnt to face the world, they would be learning how to dream bigger? Sorry to say, this as a whole doesn’t project a very encouraging picture.

The report proposes a further abolition of 12th exams as well as introduction of a single common entrance exam for colleges. How many ‘single common’ entrance exams shall we have? There could be umpteen number of colleges offering different courses & will require a separate test? Shall we also forget then that the requirements of colleges vary so much so that a even a single exam for admission to IIT and NIT might lead to a wrong student entering a wrong place? Shall it also mean that that single entrance exam of 3 hours will decide the whole life of an individual? Enough of consolation for those who are stressed, lets not play with the lives of those who work hard day and night and enjoy the success that follows it! Including 10th and 12th exams broadens the scope of having an insight into the overall record of a student rather than simply depending on a single data all through the rest of the life.

A possible solution to the existing problem could be introduction of objective papers at SSC and HSC levels so that the cramming, handwriting and similar factors are done away with. This would also lead to a more transparent evaluation system free from the whims of the person checking the papers. We see this trend already creeping in with IIT-JEE introducing completely objective approach abandoning a history of more than 20 years into subjective sets. How would Design, Planning, Architecture & Fashion colleges deal with an objective test, would still remain a burning question.

The Cost of Living!!!

2009-06-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Date:
":;" Parmy, Lubusa (Catholic Calendar date 18th May, 4591 AD)

Place:
Mercanda Planet, Carmery galaxy (1 quintillion parsecs from earth)

Narrator:
A merchant who deals in antique pieces. He travels round the Universe, from one galaxy to other, collecting these things.

Narration:

(The merchant is selling a few things he gathered while on a visit to MilkyWay galaxy in a place called Planet Earth. The merchant, with his dressing & presentation, appears as if Jack Sparrow is selling Bone-china dishes in the streets of Istanbul. A large crowd has gathered around him, exactly the way Indians flock around the snake-charmers )

" This, my fellowmen, this is called plastic. A plastic bottle to be precise. A material which cannot be destroyed! One which doesnt decay, burn, breakdown or annihilate! The person who made this, yes this was made in a room with U shaped vessels and persons wearing white coats, became an instant celebrity. The method of manufacture of this material is included in the books there and the big formulaes look like the mosquito nets that we use! I must say the people there are very intellingent. And gods have always been partial to them in the way that EARTHians are bestowed with smart minds, & occasionally, Gods visit that place and help them more.

Now this, a very peculiar thing mind it, is petrol! Yes, this liquid is a fuel. It runs machines, cars, trucks and what not! We, stupids like anything, sit 24hrs to recharge our vehicle batteries with solar energy; and they? They just put this inside and they run like anything! Gods have been exuberantly helpful and generous to them!

And the last one, this white sheet, the PAPER as they call it! What we all think in minds, they just note it down here! And guess what more, they have machines which can actually 'PRINT' something on this paper. People there keep doing this all the time. Lakhs of paper every second! And thus they have an impeccable collection of data, accounts, history, knowledge etc.

They are weaker than us in only two things.
First they cannot roam around the Universe like we do. They even get scared when I land my spacecraft at their places!

Second, their forests & trees are dissipating. Their Icebergs are melting. They live in an average temperature of 25-30 degrees!! They are dying. They have their lungs choked. They have their bodies burnt. They keep crying for something called OXYGEN. And what they inhale, contains all the soot, the origin of which I could not track.

So the students, the professors, the scientists and the scholars, I present you these things to work on, and create similar fabulous products for our world. This, combined with the natural beauty we possess, will make us the best place to live in!"

And so, another planet, quintillion parsecs from earth, also started its way to glory....just that it was to be the other way round!

Save trees, save paper, use less plastic. Conserve the environment. Your grandsons might be asking for a free visit to oxygen booth as their birthday gifts.

Communalism- The Indian Way....

2009-04-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Elections are staring at the face of India once again. After the timid governance (read non-governance) of Congress, the communalist (read pro-hindu) BJP and communist (read stubborn) Third front claim to be better contenders for the 545 or so hotseats inside a house whic was attacked by some terrorists a few years back. The terrorists have not been hanged because of Human Rights Issues (read the virtual pro-muslim attitude of congress) but at the same time, they want Varun gandhi hanged (again read the same). Hypocrisy could not have been better than this in India.

BJP people have gone stupid talking about cutting hands of those who hold them against Hindus. Why are they doing it? Why do they want to evoke talibani and terrorist sentiments? Those fuckers will come again and make a scene out there in some TAJ hotel. Why should BJP give ticket to a Doctor in Gujrat who is accused of reusing the syringes which finally led to an epidemic outbreak? Really stupidity rules the grey matter inside the heads of some top leaders. Ram mandir issue? Just imagine this: there is a temple in mecca and a temple in rome. Both exactly at a place where masjid and church respectively were supposed to be. Then i wud ask any true Christian or Islami how wud he have behaved. Its so embarrasing that i enter Ram mandir everyday and as i come out of it, i accept a masjid in ayodhya. Poor parents of mine, who taught me whole Ramayan, they forgot to tell me that Hindus are most gullible, docile group and the ones supporting it will be called communalists.

So u mean congress is not communalist?? Boys and gals, think over again. I will adduce enough proof here and now, to prove otherwise. How many proofs do u want?? Here is a single one, and its sufficient for all those who are 'rational creatures'. This proof is divided into three sentences, and together they prove who is what:

1. Of the 55 Islamic countries, not one, barring India, extends Haj subsidy because “Haj is not a state prerogative.” Though Pakistan had this subsidy till 1997, the Lahore High Court passed an order to discontinue it. They generate money for the pilgrimage after investing the deposits of intending Hajis.

2. Demanding an end to the subsidy, Maulana Mehmood Madani, Rajya Sabha member and general secretary of the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind, says “It is against the Shariat to be under any kind of obligation while undertaking Haj. According to the Quran, only those Muslims who can afford the expenses should perform Haj. It’s recommended only for adult, financially able and sane Muslims.”

Others like S Q R Ilyas, convenor of the Babri Masjid Committee and a senior member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), call the Haj subsidy “a sop to gain political mileage.”

3. The minimum cost of a Haj package through the Haj committees is around Rs. 92,000, of which Rs. 20,000 is paid by the Indian government to Air India as a subsidy on the Hajis ticket. The total Haj airline ticket subsidy was around Rs. 150 crore for the year 2001 and has been enmarked to Rs. 225 crores for the year 2005.
I dare Congress to stop this if it comes to power next time.
BJP?? No they wont do. They are atleast clear on their stand. They are Pro-Hindu but not necessarily Anti-Muslim. By the way, Afzal wud have been hanged by now if he was Varun Gandhi, Advani, Muthalik or Narendra Modi (just read Hindu!)

But who wins a rational debate? The few percent people in India who, irrespective of their religion, are rational enough to understand what is right and what is wrong.

I wud ave luved to know what wud have been the response of Congress towards Mr. Jarnail Singh's cowardly (read audacious) act had it not been election time.

I know Khalistan and i remember Golden Temple and operation blue star....but if we go by the same way...all the good rational muslims will be swiped off India just because all terrorists are muslims (by default).

The Halcyon years....!!!

2009-03-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

Sitting idly at the guest house this night, My roommate and I decided to play some of the classic oldies which we have heard while growing up. Rather than going in for Mohammad Rafi or Kishore Kumar, the first thing we searched was this:

1. Jungle Jungle Baat Chali hai - Mogli (Click it!!)

And the Gust of memories rushed past.... I recalled the exact day I first heard this track. When I was in Nasik ( Sinnar to be precise) and my daddy forced me out of my morning cricket game to watch 'a new serial' starting up for children. I must be 7-8 years old then. Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj, you rocked dudes!!!

Next was this more of an esoteric choice which He could recall more vividly than I could:

2. Surabhi - Renuka Shahne & Siddhartha Kak

The culture, the heritage, the people, the country and among them, our good childhood days. How much those little serials used to have a fineprint on our lives!! My room-mate recalls buying 10-15 postcards everytime for every episode and answering the question asked at the end of it in the names of all the family members. And mind it, there was no Googe that time!! :P

Ohk, another one after that. The one which is related to all of us in more of an inspirational way than just mythological, the our very own :

3. Mahabharat - Yada Yada hi dharmasya

Krishna, Arjun, Duryodhan, Karna, Bheem, Bheeshm Pitaamah...Geeta ka Upadesh : Hey Paarth, Tum apne saath kya laaye the jo saath lekar jaaoge! The massive battles, the cloying miracles, the putative Godly interventions.......

The next, obviously something close to the heart:

4. Malgudi Days - The wonderful days!!

Shankar Nag directing the R K Narayanan fictional short stories!! Vendor Of Sweets, Swami and Friends, shibboleth"Chamy."....need anything more?

Wanted the title of 'Amravati ki kathayein' too but could not get it :(

One last:

5. Ek-Anek....the commercial ad

What to say? It makes me overly sentimental......

Also in the list were the following which I could not listen to because of time constraint:

1. Doodh Doodh Doodh Doodh, Doodh hai wonderful... (found it later...edited!!!)
2. School chale hum
3. Alif Laila
4. Chanakya
5. Tipu Sultan

Anyway, i have lots of years left in my life....shall definitely visit the rest some time!!! :)

A reminder

2008-10-08T02:31:00.000-07:00

This blog will be alive as long as I am. So please feel free to comment here and record your suggestions for as long as 'forever'!!!

Backlog....

2008-10-08T01:34:00.000-07:00

Last two months had been a mix of nomadic commutations and the solitude which follows such 'roaming around'. I took leave from the Rudrapur Unit as soon as the teen-days of the August month ended. Before that,I visited Ahilyanagari (my hometown I mean!)because my sister wanted a promise that I will take care of her and the occasion fittest for this is Rakhi. From Rudrapur, I moved to Delhi and watched 'Mumbai Meri Jaan' in a multiplex which was a refreshing phenomenon after two months' stint in a town. Even my weekend hadn't spent enough time with me when I had to move to Chennai from Delhi. A conference came up in the meantime and i was asked to attend it with my Senior. So off to Mumbai I was and attended the meet in JW Marriot which was my first official entry in a five star. As I concentrated on the presentation made by the IIT professors over there in front of an industry audience, convocation ceremony at my college ran parallel which i had to miss. Back to Chennai from Mumbai in the very early hours of one saturday, I presented myself before the Regional Sales Manager of the South.This was the starting of secluded life with no friends around. Welcome to the Sales Stint of Britannia!

I was assigned Coimbatore region for my project. They say that a good beginning is half done, but for the first five days, I struggled with my Project topic itself which was beyond the scope of my 'Engineering Types Grey Matter'. Living alone in a hotel room in Coimbatore, I just used to wait for the weekend when I would run away somewhere to meet my friends. First weekend was destined to be in Bangalore, the other one is Trichy. Only after the fortnight of September, I started complaining my Boss that the project is not moving forward. Thanks to the help he provided, I started off.

Living alone is a pitiful experience. Eat alone, Roam around alone, Travel alone and Keep your mouth shut as very few will understand the language you want to talk in with. Phew, finally the project was 'happening'.

From Coimbatore, I moved to Bangalore via Chennai, staying in both the places for two days before I landed here in Chennai again!

In bangalore, I went to watch Kidnap with friends and celebrated Manjari's Birthday playing paint-ball game!

Waiting for the next location, I sit here in Chennai Guest House on this Navami Day, while Gods prepare a further Travel Plan for me!

2008-08-02T02:49:00.001-07:00

For some time now, I have been missing my college days more than I used to do a month ago. Suddenly one night, my friend called me at 3 in the night and his first statement drew me out of the dream world I was in at that time. He, too, was missing the life we people lived there.

Leaving college is like getting out of the bed every morning. You don’t want to do it. But you have to do it.

I wish I returned back to scorching sun of trichy where going from Garnet hostel to the D mess will make me perspire. I wish I returned back to Jade hostel where I will open a tap but no water will flow out of it. I wish I sat back in the i-lab of Octagon while writing this article. I wish every morning my mobile beeps and I come to know that there is no 8.30 class. I wish I had a birthday party today and I will eat lots of Paneer tikka, Fried idli and butterscotch icecream in sangeethas. Or I will choose Shaans and I will eat chicken lollypop there!

I wish I had a ragging call again today. I wish all my seniors out there around me. I wish I wore full sleeves shirt and bathroom slippers again today. I wish it was my freshers’ party today and I will feel at the top of the world.

I want to go to SC and sit idly in juicy. I want to eat cake-ice cream and puff in the snacky. I wish the food in the mess today was bad and I am going to Bamboos. I wish I get parotta to eat for once. I wish I was at Maclauren having a double-decker and can pepsi. Or I just wish I was in my wing this evening and we had a very very long baker session. There was a CS match between PbZ 1 & 2 or may be Indore Bhilai!

I wish today was a day before NittFest and I stay in the department till 12 in the night. Or it was the last day of it. I wish I climb the stage stairs again and feel the heartbeats getting faster. I wish I dance today inspite of knowing I don’t know how to.

I wish its placement time again. Baithe hai milke, sab yaar apne. Sabke dilo me, armaan ye hai………

I wish I sat on my table and slept on my bed of room 33. Then I go to CEESAT for once and know that these moments have passed forever. I wish its Ruby cup days again and….

I wish I was at the railway station on the last day and I could see all my friends again for once.

I wish I came back to life again.

The bad, the worse and the worst!

2008-07-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

While the PRIME Minister, his supporters and his opponents debate over the nuclear deal;
While it rains in Mumbai and Kolkata, which hurdles road, rail & air transport;
While the price of crude oil sets itself to cross $150 per barrel mark;
While I work here in Factory and crores of people like me do their job,
My home-town Indore burns.
My heart cries.

Today, Indore suddenly figures in the headlines of almost all national newspapers. Should I be proud of it? The communal intentions of VHP have turned my home land into a curfew struck city which will be hence forth known for its religious sentiments. My friends in Bangalore, Delhi and other places will know me as a resident of communal area. More poor people will starve and die because they will not be allowed to open their kiosks, thelas, sabji gadis etc. More parents will not be able to feed their children which they will regret forever. More muslim friends of mine will be afraid to go out in public for a few days. But VHP will continue its agitation in the name of ‘National Interest’. My father is stuck up at home when he should be returning to his workplace on Gandhisagar dam which might overflow anytime in this rainy season. More small businessmen will burn themselves like the vyapaari in Satna did. More schools, colleges, factories, transportation facilities and shops will remain closed. And my peaceful land shall turn into a silent mourning yard.

I won’t complain. I am wrong. For last 22 years I have been living in this country called India where Jinnah or VHP can execute their communal rulings anytime anywhere. I won’t condemn it because then I should have entered politics and tried to undo it.

There is a party called JAGO Party started by some IITians. Like thousands of others, I wish it good luck.

I know I can do something about it. But impulsively, I wont.

Definitely Not Bed Of Roses!

2008-06-28T01:56:00.000-07:00

Today I reached factory at 6 in the morning. The reason which explains my height of dedication towards the job on the 17th day of joining Britannia is not sincerity. No manager forced me to work at this early hour. My project guide is out of station. And the biggest one, I am sitting alone in the office! The project which I am working on involves product quality improvement and hence getting hourly readings of biscuit quality (gauge, weight, diameter etc.) is must. Since the morning shift operator who takes readings for me is on leave, I am taking those readings myself so that my project doesn’t suffer by one shift data. I work on line one which means I record readings for GOOD-DAY Butter cookies. It’s is not all nice. I am already hating it’s aroma since I am there all the time, eating a piece or two! And I wear a cap which prevents hair fall inside the plant. I am so used to it that i forget it's on my head all the time.

I can hear the factory machines running downstairs. 200000 kg of biscuits is what production people make here everyday. I am also a part of production management now, at least partially. No one asks my opinion but everyone explains things to me even if thy are very busy doing their job. This comes with a sense of responsibility. As my factory manager pointed out during the first meeting with him, “Continue your college boy attitude for one more year till you get a position of responsibility, but remember that I want conclusions from the project you are doing right now.” So this explains what is expected from a newbie in the plant.

A small incident which happened just now. The shift officer came to me while I was taking readings and said, “You are here early today, why?”

“Yes, Deepak is on leave. I want these readings.”
“Ok. Whom do you report to?”
“FM saab.” (Factory manager is “saab” for officer!)
“Will you tell them that our stack length is not proper?”
“Ya, I will but the weight is accurate. We are not fooling our customers.”
“No see. You must think analytically. The packing machines can’t work well if standard length is not achieved.” Then he explained me a lot about engineering machines used here.

I understand that the people here on shop floor know as much as any engineer from a premier institute will know. And it’s only the experience that helps in the odd situations.

A long day ahead waits for me. I can actually leave at around 3pm since I came early. Let’s see.

And college boy attitude doesn’t mean jeans and t-shirt. I am always in formals. It means the power of grasping and understanding things. I am sure FM saab is right!

These Days...

2008-06-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am in Rudrapur (Uttaranchal) these days. Its 70 kms from nainital and around 200 kms from Delhi. Its a town and I dont see much of the 'UrbaniZatioN' here. But ya i have all it wants to live happily and comfortably. Living in a guest house is another experience. Having a place where u just return and relax with no tensions at all feels nice. I have this Panditji in our guest house who makes awesome food and helps us to be away from the food we had a month ago at home.
Made new friends while induction in bangalore . Knowing people from different colleges and backgrounds gives one a great chance to understand what job and management is all about. In our Ice-Breakers in Bangalore, we all went to Mysore for one day and we enjoyed a lot! But now everyone is at his\her own stint area. But thanks to Lotus-notes-Britannia's web mail!!
And then life..ya its fine. Sudden changes are always disturbing na :) But then i have to start my project from monday and for two months, its my sole aim!
Finally work. I finished my factory induction today. Visited all the sections of it. I am quite equipped to start the project. morning 9 to evening 6 is what i am supposed to work. Project is like Burning midnight's oil as told to us in induction in Bangalore.
I think this gives an idea. I will write another one on job specifically.

Unusual Experiences In Life!

2008-04-18T01:12:00.000-07:00

Ever felt that Murphy's law is really true? Ever felt that those small mistakes which happen in your life are governed by a principle. Or at least there is a phenomenon that describes why its always the last key from the bunch that fits in the lock exactly when you are in a hurry! Someone controls something, so i believe.

Ever had a déjà vu experience? The strange familiarity of an unknown mind? The lived moments relived. Sudden and compelling eagerness to seek an explanation! Craving hard and harder to remember but just a blank thought.

Ever felt you are reborn? That you were that character in Mahabharata or in any history book. That you were the King of a prosperous state which was attacked and you had to flee? Or you were a poor peasant and killed in very ancient times. When you see very old temples, you know you have been here before. And you try to think.

Ever had a bad dream? Someone lovely is drowning, you are crying and no one is listening. You are leaving forever...someone else who loved you is leaving for ever. Somewhere mourning is there and suddenly you wake up. And when you tell it to others, they don't get the exact intensity of badness. You are helpless. No one understands. You think.

Ever felt that the gates closed a second before you could have entered. Reaching the last last stage and then turning back. Your heart contracts and pains. The world seems bad and you are sad. You want a person who will understand you. You find your best friend.

Ever felt that the word is on your tongue but not coming out. Yes yes you know it but sudden loss of memory. You laugh at yourself but ....

Ever felt you did something really bad in your life. That you want to say sorry but the person is not in your life anymore. You feel alone.

Ever felt that some people are nothing in relation but you love them. Jaise bina matlab ka pyara rishta ho koi...!

Ever felt that life is wonderful because of the people who are around you?

Last few days..

2008-03-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Long time, no post. Almost a month has passed since I wrote last. Lot of things happened. And I wanted to write about each one of them. But they kept happening and I kept waiting and experiencing everything.
First of all, Ruby Cup started. The inter-hostel sports challenge. Days and nights, NITTians played this and that. With 75 teams registering for cricket tournament, this sport held the maximum attention. Matches after sunset in the flood lights. Its awesome. With the meetings of ruby cup being executed in my wing, it was all more thrilling knowing a few little things in advance! Our team reached till quarter final in which we all played a poor game (earlier some one or the other used to be the savior) . So it ended for us.

Second, Saraswati Puja. We,along with our bong friends, 'manufactured' food for 1000 people atleast. 'Manufactured' because it was la ot of it. Lots and Lots of it. Whole night we peeled potatoes and crushed dry fruits and ate rasgoollaas while khichdi was getting ready.

Third, Pragyan. The tech-fest which we people are addicted to. I was manager of the technical treasure hunt. And it went on quite well except that the prize money had not reached the outside college participants and one of them made her mother call me and give me a lesson about organising stuff. Sadly, even that wont help. Its not in my hands!

Fourth, the Home Trip. Living days when you can relax is always wonderful. But some rem work was there and i typed it out when i was at home. Thank God i did not know Photo shop, my partner did the rest !

Fifth the Kerela trip. The most awesome trip i had recently after Goa. The allepey backwaters rock. When we were in the middle of them, it rained, and it rained like hell. And our Big Boat started going backwards rather than forward. And we thought this is why these are called 'Backwaters'! Then Munnar is really God's own place. And Veegaland was second time for me. Check pics in my orkut account.

Sixth Holi. Bhaang, rang, and rains to add to it. South me abhi rain ka maahaul hai!

This is it. These days I am preparing for the inter department cultural competitions. Will write about it.
Very soon I will be senti since last days are here. So will write more!

On The Cards!!

2008-02-19T02:17:00.001-08:00

I am just done with my cycle tests. The 5 question papers spanning through 5 days is the best timetable for an exam that one can expect. Out of those five days, two were holidays (sat & sun).
So finally five papers in three days!
Here is what happens in the 'exam-time life' of an engineer living in my hostel wing. Exactly a day before the exams, 5 minutes out of every bakar (gossip) session will be allocated to material management. In the crowded mess, in the noisy rooms, in the quiet corridors everyone will ask every other one about the notes, the xerox, the assignments and preferably the last, the books. Everyone seems quiet eager to know from where to study. The class representative is made to run here and there to get notes from this and that proff. Once the syllabus is known and the material is arranged, healthy evaluation follows and the 'net finishing time' is calculated.
Two very famous quotes will follow.
1. 'Arey its very easy. Will be finished in an hour or so'
2.'Its too much. No one is actually studying. I will read the important ones.'
The thing is no one knows what is important and what is not. No one attends classes to know what happened and what not. So minor periods of study will be inserted into the major periods of bakar.
This time we had more interesting ways of wasting exam time. Every morning before the exam, a person will pick up a card from the pack. The marks were predicted as follows:
A - above 13 marks out of 20

K , Q , J , till 4 - their actual numbers are marks

3 - poor performance expected

2- will be caught cheating or likely to fail
So every time one attempts picking up the card, his heart skips a beat. Having a dozen guys around you believing in an idea makes you believe it as well. Its your turn now. You are afraid. You prepared for 9 atleast. You remember those few minutes when you studied. You remember the names of units that are in syllabus. And you want a good card to come out. Every time in a situation like this, you feel you have a bad luck. Its going to be verified. Or may be it gets changed. Its a game. But now you want to win it. You choose that card and you don't know why.
You are about to see the number. Everyone whispers something but you are here, where your heart is. And finally you check that. Its A. You have made an ace. You gonna win.
And you remember those pages which you have left. Those definitions which you dont remember. And you say quietly, 'Its just a game!'

Entering the dark tunnel

2008-02-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone must have felt that 'craving-to-know-more' feeling inside when it comes to very old houses. Those underground tunnels, mysterious backyards, locked up top floor rooms, all-time-shut doors or anything like that. And knowing a story adds a lot to the hunger. My grandma's house was one such example. It had a fifth floor which was never open to anybody. It had a tunnel which would lead to the temple outside the town directly, as the tale said. It had rooms which were undiscovered, abandoned. It had a backyard which would connect all the floors externally. And there were children like me who loved to smell fishy things.

Finding an underground way is like imagining a different life. Suppose a small wooden enclosure stands closed in front of you. And you are first in a decade to attempt opening it. You climb over a stool and try to open it sideways. You imagine darkness of inside. You imagine that there will be stairs inside leading you down to an unknown place. There will be spiders and their webs, rodents and their holes, dust, those weird noise made by insects, ants and their bigger versions. You make sure your shoes are intact. You unfold your shirt to cover the sleeves. You prepare for that moment when you will know something which no one else knows. The creaking sound of door will lead you to the road less traveled. Your cousins denied to be a part of this adventure. But who cares, you have that flare and the courage to do it. And above all you terribly wanna confirm the story they told you. You carry on. It now or never.

And finally it opens. Only to reveal a way outside the building. It is the backstreet of your house. You throw garbage there everyday. Yes, the temple is nearer to the house from the back. The drainage pipes stand tall in front of you. They are leaking.And you are feeling cheated. You want to go down in the darkness. You want to feel the fear you had a few moments before. A cool breeze blows on your face. And you start making a story to tell to your cousins!

It rained last night!

2008-02-09T23:19:00.000-08:00

It rained last night. The fragrance of wet mud is still in the air. I remember my school days. I remember the feeling of being drenched. I remember those special rainy days when only a very few ppl came to school. And we used to pass the whole time chatting with our teachers and eating each other's tiffin during the classes. I remember going out in the woods after rain. And then discussing whose slippers weigh the most! I remember the first time i saw a rainbow in my life. The first time i watched clouds running like anything across the sky. I was very young. And it still has a fine print on my mind. All this happened in a place called Maksi near Indore. Where i lived the most beautiful years of my life-the childhood days. The classroom things happened in Kolping Convent School of Maksi which was a heaven. I never got to live those wonderful days again. I never got to see those wonderful rains again. Each breath of mine reminds me of Maksi. Each time i think what i am today, i think of Maksi. And i think how fortunate i was to be at such a place. When there was a power cut,mummy daddy me and bro used to sit together at the backyard of our govt. quarter. And during exam days we used to study in kerosene lamps (rural areas suffer so much!). I even remember that gas lamp which used to make so much of husshhing noise.
Few moments in our life have passed unnoticed. When they were happening, we thought these are normal ones. But 10 years down the lane i miss my childhood and everything associated with it. I miss the mountain safari, gilli-danda and all those friends who were with me during those days. Koi mujhko lauta de vo bachpan ka saawan, vo kagaz ki kashti vo baarish ka paani!

EmBarkation!!!

2008-01-24T00:42:00.000-08:00

All those ‘first things’ in our lives! Winning first spoon race of school and watching people applaud for a thing so trivial. Getting first mobile and waiting for the SMS buzz every five minutes. The first penny earned, may be in lieu of helping the neighborhood grandma down the street. The pleasure and the eagerness to tap it, to hold it hard and to wish those moments never pass. And then waking up next morning to find that newer debut roles are to be played.

Everyday I visit blog sites searching for something. I read about auction of antique cars, birthday parties, Friday reviews, interviews, first dates, spring & fall, late night call. I trip through minds of people who are loved, hated, provoked, depressed, ditched, perturbed, sweethearts and pain in the ass. To some blogs, I keep nodding while I read them, to some I just pass my hasty glances. Everyone probably does the same. But everyone feels it differently. So this ‘first’ blogging gives me the pleasure I wanna hold. No one can exactly feel what I do right now. But all can remember their own first times, that feeling which doesn’t sink easily!

So happy wandering round the blogs and penning down through the crests and troughs of life. Being called a nomad was never so pleasant!