Terror everywhere...

I was in my apartment grabbing my evening cup of tea, and I switched to CNN IBN. There comes the breaking news :

INDIA TERRORIZED AGAIN - DELHI BLOWN !

What followed on television was the sight of a number of laymen bleeding - Some even dead - being rushed to nearby hospitals.

I wonder, if the perpetrators of the crime watch these gruesome videos of innocent victims. And, if they do, I wonder if their conscience ever awakens.Cos there have been more blasts following every since, and every Indian wakes up wondering - Which city next ?

These are men whose conscience has been raped and murdered, and subjugated to an extent that it has become non existent. I am sorry I said "MEN". They are an insult to the very name "MAN". They are incapable b@#$@#$s who donot live in peace, nor let others live in peace. They don't understand "humanity".

Forget their nation, do these cowards not love their families ? If they do, then why is it so hard for them to realize that they are killing people who are dear to many ! Why don't they visualize their own mother/sister/father perishing in terror? What is that hell of a joy they get out of killing innocent victims and hiding somewhere !! Life and death is in God's hands - And they are not GOD to kill people.

How I wish I could throw a glass of acid on those F!@#$%s. How I wish they can be chained and paraded like animals, and whipped by the general public. How I wish they rot in hell when they die. How I wish they are made to pay - inch by inch for every ounce of misery they've caused. How I wish they go through the most gruesome death anybody has ever undergone.

Its the anger boiling within me that makes me say this. Its anger in everyone's minds around. Its the inherent humanity that makes me want to punish the terrorists for their dastardly act. But the fact remains that I, like everyone else around, am thinking from the heart. I wish, a day will come, when, we rationalize our thought process, and realize, that prevention is better than cure".. If you chop a tree, it still continues to grow, but if you remove it by the root, it dies. I hope we do something similar to terror.

Having said that, I hope, a day will come, when people can safely venture out without thinking "What if I am the next victim?"

Meanwhile, I am signing off, wondering, like many others, "WHO NEXT ?"

I just remembered a previous post of mine

Today morning, I went to a hospital. When I came out, my bike was hidden and covered from all directions with other bikes. Realizing that it was literally impossible for me to take it out, I took help from a security guard. I was very impressed by his help, and decided to tip him. I gave him a ten rupee note. AND HE REFUSED TO TAKE THE MONEY. :-) -> This reminded me of my previous post: http://vandyhasablog.blogspot.com/2008/03/one-rupee-tip.html.

I liked the guard's sincerity, but, one of my friends(to whom I narrated this incident) actually got me thinking "if accepting a tip is bad". Well, if, someone tips for a service after being happy with it, it might be his way of encouraging the person performing the service.

Comments are open on this. This looks like a topic to debate on.

Independence

Well, independence day is long over, and I ain't talking about that :-) I am talking about my Independence day, and what this "independence" means to me - Coincidentally, I too celebrated it on the 15th of August.

Well, the whole thing started about a month and a half back. I was having a tough time traveling to work, and maintaining my study timetables. It was time I moved out to a place closer to work. As I've spent 2 years of my life studying for THE vouched MBA (and I failed miserably), my parents concurred with the idea of shifting me out into a different place - thinking I would find more time to study as well as to work.

Staying alone brings with it myriads of issues. Makes me think twice before I take any decision now - I am solely responsible for anything I do. Staying alone means no mommy to oil your hair on a weekend. Staying alone means having to cook your own food (or to eat the junk outside). Staying alone means washing your own clothes, checking if the main door of the house is locked, cleaning your own toilets, buying soaps, detergents, shampoos, ironing your own clothes – Staying alone means, in a single word -RESPONSIBILITY.

Luckily for me the above mentioned chores are not new - thanks to an independent, non pampered upbringing. But somewhere, I do feel I have become more responsible. (Not that I wasn’t responsible earlier). And the most important benefit of being independent is moving into a self introspection mode, and getting to know oneself better. This is what I enjoy the most. There are times when I try to draw graphs of my behavioral trends in my mind. I analyze myself, and dig deep into my conscience. Certain actions of mine seem non understandable, certain logical, certain impromptu. I now get sometime to sit back and think about every moment of my life, every person in my life, every interaction I have with people. I get time to study people around me and myself. Last but not the least; I have learnt the importance of people in life. Every relationship counts here, and there is no substitute for a mom, a dad, a brother, a friend, and a life companion.

Sociality

We live in huge societies barricaded by tall walls of caste, language, region, religion, etc. “Society”, or, should I say “sociality” is one of the basic attributes of human beings. We all like to live in our own groups, and very often, we define ourselves according to the “majority” of the group. We all have personal preferences, but, if our personal preferences conflict with that of the group, the fear of alienation makes us believe, we are wronging, and, those preferences get buried deep under the sand. Groupism gives a sense of belonging to human beings, and, in turn, and huge degree of moral support. Often, the fear of loneliness, and abandonment, makes people confine themselves to the ideas of the group. The group whose walls are defined by the immediate family, by the caste and religion, is the first group every individual is a part of by default (in India). The other groups form gradually with time. They include friends, colleagues, etc.

Often, groups suppress individualism. This has its advantages, as well as disadvantages. An individual may suppress his desires to abide to the group, and he’ll be called a good team player. He might have sacrificed uphis own “desires” for the group’s well-being, and this would be acceptable to him. However, on the other hand, (and this is usually the case) certain individuals bury their passions and desires with the fear of abandonment. This brings in a lot of dissatisfaction in life. Very often, such behavior will lead to a loss of inner happiness, and the individual ends up leading a life according the whims and fancies of the group.



A few examples of the advantages and disadvantages of “groupism”.

• Rekha belongs to an orthodox South Indian Brahmin family, and lives in a village. She has topped her 12th std board exams, and wants to study in a good college in a city. However, people in her village do not let girls go to cities without getting them married. She succumbed to these ideas, and got married to a city guy to pursue her dream of studying in a city college. However, after marriage, she was not allowed to study, as her husband didn’t want a wife more qualified than him and, she had to again sacrifice her desires.

• Anitha and her friends wanted to go for a movie. Out of the 10, she was the only one who watched the movie, but, she decided to go along with her friends once again. In this case, Anitha did sacrifice for the group, but, she did it out of her own willingness.

The Auto Rides

It has been a while since I penned down anything, and my avid readers are complaining. It's not that I didn't have anything to write, nor is it that I was time-tied, I was just too lazy, and, I spent all my time in my own dream space I have carved for myself and my own self, and only my own own own self :-)

Well, it was during the May-June time frame, that I attended a lot of farewell parties - One by one, everyone seems to be moving out to achieve their career ambitions. I felt so glad for a few of my friends, and, at the same time, I did wish I could step into their shoes ! Grass always looks greener on the other side - Yes, I know this, very well, so do many, but, very often we end up thinking of the IFs in life.

I mostly ride to work on my bike, and, once in a while take the bumpy auto-rides too. Its during these auto rides that I let my mind wander into any zone w/o any restrictions, and start philosophizing things around. I'm probably one of those who don't strike conversations with the auto fellows. It's not an aversion towards them - its more of a fear, and a cautionary note that I've heard since my childhood - Don't talk to strangers !

Corruption is rampant everywhere in India - be it Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai or any corner ! And, be it construction workers, the Govt. officials, or, the Collectors, or, even the top notch entrepreneurs - corruption is present at every rung of the social ladder. Its this notion of corruption, in a way, and, the usual don't trust strangers, that makes us wary of talking to strangers, even the auto fellows. I've had experiences where, an auto fellow has cheated me royally, sometimes we fall for it, and, sometimes, we decide not to create a ruckus about it. I've also had experiences where they have been extremely nice to me. One of the auto guys I saw once, didn't want to come till my destination, and, he offered me a ride to (free of cost)the nearest auto station, as he was going that side anyway . And, sometimes, I've had these old drivers strike interesting conversations with me, and, the journey goes so smooth with a conversation flowing by. Recently, I took an auto on one of the bomb scare days, and, the network they have is so amazing - He had every bit of information on which area is safe, and which not, and, what I liked about him, is that, unlike others, he was more worried about getting his customer to her destination safely, than about negotiating for an extra tip !

Somehow, small interesting events like these, make a believe, tat we shouldn't enter an auto with preconceived notions that they're gonna cheat us - Very often, they're much nicer than our notions about them.

Irrational

Work had gotten mundane, and esp after the SIP (hike), there was a lot of dissatisfaction, and, to raise the spirits, the management played the trump card - Threw some money to have fun, to cheer up the sad people :) I dont know if it worked, but, I did have a good time :)

6 teams of my Brand called "Rational", all having around 30-50 people came up with themes for the day (called the Irrational day), and, it was amazing to see the level of participation from all the teams ! Never had I imagined that in a software industry, I could find so much participation in an event. It truely reflected the team spirit, and the awesome bonding b/w the team members.

In particular, my team came up with a "Back to School" theme. Childhood memories became alive when I wore a school uniform, with a tie and shoes, wore ribbons, and sat in a classroom (The work place was converted into a classroom by using Maps, globes, White boards, teachers, princpal,Vice principal, and students). And, add to it, the fact that we added a good cause to the whole story. We asked everyone to buy some classroom materials for our school day, so that after the event we could donate it to some school.

All in all, today was a perfect showcase of team work, dedication, passion, fun, and what not !

Few pics are uploaded at : http://www.orkut.co.in/Album.aspx?uid=7887852890920641923&aid=1215168175

Deep from inside...

I was very happy in the morning.. Woke up early, came really early to work, did quite some boring work, but finished a chunk of it - everything was moving according to my plan.. But, someone broke the entire chain of satisfaction. A stupid meeting, and a caller hurt my ego.. I've read about flaring male egos. But, this one s a female ego.. Much stronger.. I just kept quiet throughout the meeting. Not cos I was weak enough to punch back, but I pitied those poor souls at the receiving end..

Ok.. I wrote the first paragraph in the afternoon when I was red with anger.. But, now, I am finding it difficult to continue it, cos, I've quite forgotten the event! (Pretty fast eh??)

I sit back now, and think of the word "Emotion".. It sometimes comes out like a jet of fast flowing water, and gets to a very destructive level, and finally subsides - like a Volcano does. "Emotions" can show you two extremes on the same day - Extreme depression, and Immense happiness. I sometimes begin to wonder, how my mood can fluctuate between two extremes on a single day. It maybe the recent failures I've witnessed in my career plans, and on the personal front, or, it maybe the quarter-life crisis at its zenith, or as some old aunts say it might be a "Shani Dasha". Nevertheless, its become a prominent part of my life.

I'm just reminded of a line (Probably the only line worth remembering, and that too, worth remembering, cos, it was told to me by someone worth remembering) from Chetan Bhagath's "Three Mistakes Of My Life". In my own words, it means "There is a small corner of the brain where we store all the miseries of life, and this corner is shut mostly. And, when a new misery befalls us, we open this corner to add the new misery into it, and all the miseries flow out at that time".. How true ! I can genuinely associate with it, cos, whenever I feel lonely or depressed, very often, I end up recalling all the bad times I've had.. However, after hearing this, I made a conscious effort to think of the beautiful things around me when I was sad, and, trust me, I did see the elegant part of life :) Yes, agreed its not a very practical thing always, but, with a constant trial, things may just work out :)

Life of a 23 something girl...

7:00am.
Phone rings. Trrrrrring trrrrrring...
Voice on the other end : Hello beta. How are you?
Asha: I'm good amma. Getting ready to go to office.
Voice on the other end : Oho. Had breakfast ?
Asha: No amma, will have at work.
Voice: Ok. Ride Safely. Btw, we got hold of a "case".
Asha: What case?
Voice: The guy is working in a reputed firm. Earns pretty well too. And he's in the US.
Asha: So?? (I woke up 15 mins before, and this is what I hear first thing in the morning! And yes, btw proposals are referred to as "cases" in Indian families.. lol)
Voice: Well, see beta, you are getting old, and, so are we... (Raam katha started..)
Asha: Ok Need to rush to office.. TTYL.. Bbye

HUNG

10 am:
TRRRINN TRRRINGG
Asha: Hello.
Voice: Hello beta.. So, that case I was talking to you about.. The guy is.. blah blah blah. You see, u ll just need to take a break from ur career and go to US. Forget CAT beta, you can try somethign small there..
Asha: (Burning with rage...) I WILL NOT SACRIFICE MY CAREER..

THUD... Phone down :D

1 pm :
TRRRING TRRRING
Asha: Hello (Sigh..)
Voice: Beta, How are u ?
Asha: I'm good. (Wonder why ppl ask me the same question when they know the answer to it ;))
Voice: So, there s one more "case"...
Asha: having luch will call later.. Bye..
(Sigh !!!)

4 pm:

TRRRRING TRRRING
Asha: Hello (Sigh.. Sigh..)
Voice: So, this guy .. (Gosh, There was no hello.. Straightaway "GUY")
Asha: Mama, pls do whatever you please no... Chill !!

6 pm:
Voice: Hello
Asha: Hello, I am going out for dinner with friends today. Will be the last one, as they re leaving outta town for furthur studies. Will be back home by 10.
Voice: 10 !!!!!! Is that a time when girls return home ? Its not meant for our culture !!! Dont give us tension. If you go out like this we'll not find guys for you!!!
Asha: Ok. Will try to come back soon amma.. Dont worry. Its not always that I go. Its their last day, and probably the last time I am going out with them.
Voice: K. (ANGRY)

THUD


9:30 pm
TRRRING TRRRING
Asha: Hello.
Voice: Reached home?
Asha: Actually, just one round of starters is over, I ll leave after the main course.
Voice: WHAAAATTTT ? U re not yet home?????? Pack up NOW !!! Is this a time for girls to stay out ??? OMG ! Look at how our daughter has grown up...
Asha: Ok. Leaving NOW...

10 pm
Voice: Hello
Asha: Reached home ma.
Voice: Blaj blah blah blah blah.... blah blah blah blah blah... Blah blah blah blah bla.... (You can guess this...)
Asha: Ok, I am just bugged of life !!
Voice: Stop ur studies.. A degree is enough for a gurl.. Time you get married.. NO MORE HIGHER STUDIES... blah blah blah blah blah... blah blah blah blah blah


This is the story of a 23 something in a conservative Indian family. No matter what level of education you're capable of achieving, no matter how capable you are, no matter how high a dream you have, its time you go to that corner of the house called "kitchen", and cook something for your husband, if not, learn to cook some thing for ur future husband. Its time you get married to anyone what so ever, so that your parents can happily sit back and lay the burden off their shoulders. Its time you forget your business dreams, shed that extra weight, stop wearing those baggy jeans and tees, stop partying, and sit at home, to "create" that impression.

In an era, when business decisions are made over a couple of drinks, or, say, a game of golf, and, if, being a woman, you dont drink, nor play a game of golf, is it fair that you lose out on the opportunity of being a part of that decision, when you have the same caliber ? Hmm.. its not necessary that you drink, or play a game of golf, but making your presence felt, and being a part of the business is not that difficult right??

Its just a thought I always have in mind.. Why does life after 20+ suddenly seems biased towards the darker gender? I hope the former generation realizes the need for gender equality, and we get a fair share of everything enjoyed by the darker sex, as, we're equally able, equally hard working, and we have equal rights to indulge in all that they do !

The Quarter Life Crisis....

I reached home at 7 PM today, and realized, I had no energy to even step into the kitchen for a glass of water. As usual I shouted "AMMA Water..." And zoooooooinkkkk came a glass of chilled water. Drank it, didn't speak a word, and rushed into my room to open my books to read. Meanwhile dad came with a few doubts about using Excel sheets. Patience running out, I tried explaining, but it was hard. I felt like I was teaching a cat to swim ! I ended up shouting :D. Heard a few lectures from them on how to behave. I quietly heard them (I knew I was wrong.) Later, went for dinner and got back to my books. Suddenly I realized, I had to complete some stuff for work. And boom I was in front of the comp.

THATS the LIFE OF TWENTY TWO PLUS IN BANGALORE.

Sitting in my room, I started thinking of how life has changed in two years. A "happy go lucky" me in college, cool-headed during examinations, life was just about studying a day or two before an examination, and chilling for the rest of the time. The sole aim in life was to get good grades. And it now looks like the easiest part of life :D

I came across this phenomenon called the "Quarter life Crisis", when one of my cousins shared with me a link on it. I call it a phenomenon, because its prevalent in everyone in the age group of 20 - 30, no matter who. Its a transitional phase of life, where we find ourselves suddenly out into the open world, with a whole lot of choices, but with very less wisdom to make the right choice. The mind is always unhappy, and striving for the better.

Few symptoms are -
** I worked so hard for the project, and finally, my manager gave credit to my peer !
** He's got a double promotion, and look at me, I'm still at level 1, when I've done almost what he's done.
** All my friends are striving for a Post graduation, and here I am, still hungry for a B School seat, and not finding one !
** Her guy got her a diamond ring, and my guy hasn't even given me a plastic ear-ring set :(
** He has a beautiful girl-friend, and look at MY....
** He's already got a car !! And I don't even have a bike :(
** Oh, those ppl went for the match w/o inviting me :(

AND MANY more....
Being a twenty-three (I know girls lie about their age, But PROMISE I ain't) something, I realize how true this is. With every passing phase of life, we seem to encounter more challenges, and just about the time when we feel we've overcome one, another one pops from nowhere !! Its high time for me to master Risk Management skills :)

Do check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter-life_crisis

The Squirrel’s determination

Its been a long time since I penned down something, or blogged. Writing is my favorite stress-buster, and, when I write, I feel a lot lighter in my head. Quite obviously, I mostly write when I’m disturbed, or, when I feel I’m getting de-motivated (As writing motivates me to a great extent). But today, I’m writing because I feel motivated. The source of my motivation is something unusual. It’s a mother squirrel, whom I observed in the near past.

I’ve been living in a rented house for the past 4 years or so. A small room with a computer, my bed, and my books forms an integral part of my living. One day, I realized that there was someone in the room other than me. I could hear squeaking sounds from my window. I pushed the curtain, and I saw a squirrel sitting by some junk stuff. I saw the squirrel almost everyday. Day by day, it collected twigs and hay, and built a nest between the window mesh and the door. It took almost a week for the nest to be ready.

I’m not a great lover of animals. And, quite naturally, I realized that I can’t let the squirrel stay in my room with that huge nest – Mainly, cos someday it would have kids, and the small squirrels would roam around everywhere and dirty the place. So, naturally, the very next morning, I told Valli amma (my maid) to throw the nest outside. When she removed the mesh and took the nest out, the mother squirrel jumped out of it, and ran around the house. This was followed by some squeaks and squeals from me, but, finally, we managed to get the squirrel and the nest out. Woah, what a relief it was.

The next day, I saw the mommy squirrel frantically going up and down the window, regretting the loss of her house. I felt bad for her, and wished she’d chosen some other place to build her house.

I forget about the squirrels, and I carried on with my daily activities after that incident. One day, I again heard some sounds from my window. I pushed aside the curtain, and, to my horror, I saw a nest in formation!! The squirrel was building another nest. Hmmm, I was furious. How dare he do that! So, the very next morning, I again brought Valli amma into action, and got rid of the nest. What a relief again.

The next week I was extremely busy with work, and went out of station to meet my parents. Meanwhile, when I was away, my sister-in law called me, and told, that the squirrel has borne two baby squirrels, and they’re still residing in MY WINDOW SIL!!
Woah, I was taken aback. How dare they! Impulsively, my first reaction was to destroy the nest again. But, later, some thought made me appreciate the mother squirrel for what she’d done. Her firm determination, the never give up attitude and love for her newborns had quite an inspirational story for me to learn from.

We decided not to ruin the squirrel’s family, and to let her lead a happy life till her babies grow up. I’ve not heard noises off-late, so, I believe, the kids are grown up, and they’ve left their homes to start a living.

This may have been a very trivial story which I could have easily forgotten, but the mother squirrel taught me a lot of values, which, I’ve rarely seen in us humans. Well, it probably is the power of civilization that has made us what we are!

The bright light

Round the corner, I spotted a bright light,
I traveled towards it all night,
To reach my goal, I had to fight,
sweat out and work with all my might,
And, every passing day, my goal seemed closer to sight.

The journey was a mixture of fun and toil,
Filled with patches of both brown and green,
Some of the days were full of turmoil,
Rest of them were hard work - clean,
Every night, I burnt the midnight oil.

Around me, people pitied my plight,
Undeterred, I continued my flight,
Perseverance was the mantra,
Hard work was my sole tantra,
Unperturbed I inched my way,
Far far away from my bay.

One sunny day, I reached the bright light,
The joy of achievement was boundless,
The beauty of the goal left me speechless,
The joyful tears of my eyes were countless,
The smell of victory was fabulous.

Friends and Family, listen to me,
Everything in the world can be achieved by thee,
Toil hard, and keep your spirits high,
Be cheerful always, and never sigh,
Round the corner when you spot the bright light,
Run for it, with all your might !

Five Point Someone - Play by Evam

Well, There might not be many people who've not read the book - Five Point Someone. An instant hit, the book was written by Chetan Bhagat, an IIT-IIM guy, and I believe, the concept and the brand name were the two main reason for its quick success. (The second book by Chetan was One night at the Call center, and this was, if I can say Bull shit).

Five Point Someone - the book - is a one-shot read, but definitely not the kind of book that'll have a lasting impact. Nevertheless, I read the book at one shot, and quite liked the concept - probably because I was in college when I read the book. So, when last week, a friend told me about Evam staging this play at Rangashankara, I badly wanted to watch it.

The desire to watch the play was strong, but I never booked the tickets, and so, I landed at Rangashankara, and barged my way through a crowd of people who were in the waiting list. I someone managed to finally get the last few tickets there ! What a relief, and I am so glad, that, for once I got lucky !


Rangashankara - My first time here. I donot have words to describe the place. AWESOME !!!!!! I loved the arrangements. Be it the food, or the decors, everything looked so much theatre-types (I cudn't find any other word for it. hehe)

Sets - Very simple . The play is one of the best examples of "Sense and simplicity" (sorry Philips!). I could count exactly 4 things on stage - one elevated stage(supposed to be top of the building at IIT), a cot, a table and a chair (and ofcourse the actors) - There was nothing else on the stage - Yet, these props were just enough to enact every scene in the best manner.

Actors - Every single person appeared real. A small anecdote from my expeience : Me and Ranjini were having lunch at the eat-out in Ranga Shankara, and we came across a guy having meals. He was hogging like it was nobody's business, and like he'd never seen food. Later, I realised, he was none other than Alok, the fat glutton and the nerdy mugger, of the play !
It seemed like the characters in the play were very close to their real-life. Be it Ryan, Alok, or Hari, not to forget a mention at all the profs - esp. Prof Cherian (His baritone voice sent me gaga over him! ) - all of them were aptly chosen to suite their character.
How can I forget the narrator - Hari's alter self - The concept of having two ppl enact as Hari, and his alter-self - brought in tremendous clarity and kept up the sense of humor - esp. when Hari's alter self faces the audience after every scene.

This play was directed by the youngest directory of Madras talkies, and I don't think anyone could have done a better job! In short, this was a brilliant experience. Evam will always remain one of my favorite theater group - Their youth, their precision, their profiessionality, and the smiles they bring to everyone's face is commendable !

My first FAILURE in an interview....

I woke up in the morning, feeling extremely elated - cos this was the day my 2 months of waiting were gonna bear fruit. Yes, I am talking of my SP results. Today was D-DAY, and the results were gonna be announced.
I was one of the several sincere aspirants, who wanted a break-through MBA career. My one and only call for the season was an SP Jain call. It was a DO or DIE situation for me, and I prepared decently well for an interview that could have brought a new dimension to my life. After my January 29th interview, I was confident. Very confident, cos in my perception I had a kick-ass interview . I have NOT seen a failure in life, and believed, my success graph WILL go up. The confidence reigned in me day and night. I dreamt of residing in Mumbai as an SP-ite. I started thinking of what I would do for my DOCC project. I started thinking of how I would fund my education. I had a clear-cut plan in mind. I agree, there were times I thought, I ll give another shot at CAT, but, somehow, in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted it - Cos I know the trauma and pressure of preparing for CAT for another year.
Anyways, I was at office, refreshing http://www.spjimr.org time and again - hoping that my dreams will come true. Believe me, I spent the whole day at office refreshing http://www.spjimr.org. And, finally, when I saw the results, i couldnt find my name. I was so sure, something went wrong that I kept reading every name in the list. It took me ten minutes to digest that I've not been selected. Wierd, but, I couldnt cry. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I wish I did.
Confident as I was, the moment I saw my name wasnt there, my mind ran towards CAT 2008. Its gonna be a tough journey, but I always believe that hard work and sincerity pays , no matter what. I guess, the feeling is yet to sink into me currently, but I soooo hope, that, when it does, I remain as confident as ever!
Its a different story, my CAT 2007 journey ended in a tragedy - But, I had a beautiful time going through it - Be it the Saturday-Sunday mocks with friends, the Byju's CAT classes, Analysis of mocks, or the combined studies - I had a rocking time.
It would be unfair, if I dont thank my good friends Pratima and Harsha - I've shared with them my every emotion , and they were as excited for me as I was in the morning. I was so touched to see Pratima refreshing the results page every now and then to check my results. I'm blessed to have friends like them !

Ode to the past...

Dedicated to a changing phase of life.. A change that'll keep many things unchanged within.....

I sat, watched tv, and quietly forgot,
I ate, and quietly walked off,
I read the paper, and quietly sat down,
I did all I would normally when in town,
Difference : Something was wrong.


I laughed, and jumped and played,
I fought and made up, all in a game,
I cheated, and confessed,
I listened, and I professed,
Today, I remember these, I feel depressed.


The chitter-chatter in the last bench,
The run to the filter to thirst quench,
The Saturday lunches and rain drenches,
The Section-A-B fights, and HOD's speeches,
These are memories, I'll cherish ever.


The excitement of first time earning,
The joy of pop-corns, and bad movie groaning,
The desperate gang meetings, and despair at low turning,
The joy of the first hike, and birthday treating,
For the last time, let me embrace,
For the last time, let me tell, in grace,
For the last time, let me have a ball.....
I'll miss you all....
A LOT ! A LOT ! A LOT !

Ode to the Activa...

Every morning, I take my Activa to office, travel for an hour, and travel back for an hour. This journey has created an intimate bonding between me and my Activa, and its inspired me to honor it with a little gift ;)


From my window, I spot my Activa near the gate,
The Activa, which is, to me a soul-mate,
Its been with me through thick and thin,
Its carried me and my belongings without dropping a pin.

From my window, I spot my Activa near the gate,
The Activa, which never failed its brake,
Its taken me to college right on time,
And always saved me of a fine.

From my window, I spot my Activa near the gate,
The Activa, to which, I most relate,
Its my most priced possession,
From my most priced person, is a confession.

From my window, I spot my Activa near the gate,
The Activa, on which, I'll go for my dream-date,
It'll take me by the river side,
And off I'll go on a romantic boat-ride.

From my window, I spot my Activa near the gate,
The Activa, for which, my love will never abate,
Buy a car, someday I will,
Sell the Activa, never I will.

From my window, I spot my Activa near the gate......

The Kite Runner - A Review

Last week, I got a chance to read a captivating book by Khaled Hosseini, called the Kite Runner. The story revolves around two characters : Amir and Hassan, and portrays the gratitude that Hassan has towards his master and friend, Amir. It covers every bit of emotion in both these characters. The plot begins with Kabul, and the happy days of Kabul during the monarchy there. It talks about the fall of the monarchy, and how it affected the lives of people there. And amidst this curfew, the author unfolds the story of Hassan and Amir. Amir flees Kabul with his dad due to the curfew and finds abode in America. They abandon their luxurious home and business in Kabul, and make living in America in a small Afghan colony. The climax of the story when Amir goes back to Kabul in search of (I wont tell you this) is the most heart rendering part of the book.

Once in hand, the book becomes so intriguing that its hard to keep away from reading it.Its the most captivating, emotional, tearful story I've read in recent times, and I would easily rate it a nine on ten . I am waiting to catch the movie which released last december in UK.

The One Rupee Tip

Its a lousy Saturday, and I cant stop my mind from traveling down the memory lane. A small incident comes to my mind.

This should have been in my 7th or 8th standard, when I was living with my grandparents in a serene village. Life was about going to school, studying, going for temple festivals, weddings, etc. (There was hardly any eating out, meeting friends, etc). My close friend, Chethana's mom was running a primary school in those days, and she was taking her students out on a trip to Maria park in Cochin (One hour from my place). She was very fond of me, and Che (thats Chethana) and me were (are) inseparable pals. Che's mom asked my grandparents if I could join them on their school trip too, and they agreed. I was really excited about this one (cos it was on a rare occasion that I could step out). I got some pocket money from my granny , around 50 bucks if I remember right, and I was excited at the thought of eating chicken Manchurian at the park.

I remember we sang rhymes (cos the bus was full of primary school kids), chit-chatted (something Che and me love doing), and discussed some school-gossip. At the park, we tried all the rides, we went horse riding, climbed trees (lol), etc. During lunch time, me and Che went to a restaurant in the Park. It was probably very rare that I got the independence of going to a restaurant with a friend. (usually someone accompanied us.) It was a self service restaurant. I went to place the order. After placing the order, my mind started running in the direction of giving a tip to the guy. I've always seen dad tipping the waiters, but I'd never been to a self service restaurant before (not that I could recall then), and I was unsure if I should. Finally I made up my mind to tip him, and gave him a rupee and said "Vechholu" ("Keep it"). I had that air about me when I said that. (lol).
Waiter : "What is that?"
Me: "That's for you. Just keep it"
Waiter: "Aiyaaey.. I don't want it"
Me: "Its alright. Keep it"
Waiter: "We don't accept this"

I quietly walked off :(

It was quite humiliating for me then. Che had a hearty laugh on hearing the story. I avoided going near that restaurant for the rest of the day I spent in the park. Now, when I look back, I feel, One rupee may have been a big thing for me as a child, but I wish he could have valued it like I did... Or, probably, I was meddling with non-corrupt human :)

Whatever be it, this incident is still fresh in my memory, and I invariably recall it, whenever I tip a waiter.

TRIP TRIP TRIP....

Scene at C&RM team:

A : Pleeeease try n make it, it ll be fun...

B: Uh ! ho.. I am busy tat weekend.. If only it was the week after this :(

C: Aah... sorry, have some work :(

D: .......

E: .......


Blah blah... After a lot of coxing around, we finally managed to have a bunch of 25 enthusiasts set out on a day trip to Club Cabana... Sharp orders from the Fun Committee were to reach EGL campus at dot 7 to board the bus... However hard I tried, I couldn't be the first one to be there ! But I was glad, I wasn't the last one either ;).. Thanks to Avinash and Alok !

So we set off...
The bus ride was amazing.. Antakshari and Dumb Charades... Mehul at his best, and , Kurian and Mahesh, all set to make it tougher for our team.. But we weren't to give up so fast ;) An enjoyable bus ride brought us to the venue - CLUB CABANA.. An amazing resort - coupled with water games ! It's a rare combination, and quite an innovative idea, I must admit. So the gang did some pet-pooja (read in Hindi), and set off with full energy for a game of cricket. But yours truly, bugged them for sometime with a game called BANG ! And boom we were out in the field... Two games straight, and (uhooo uhooo) MY TEAM WON BOTH THE GAMES :D Lot of sledging, BAD UMPIRING, and cheering - it was fun..

Time for a game of bowling.. Though not as much fun as cricket, we managed to do some job, and my team lost.. (Maybe thats the reason why I didn't enjoy it. lol) Following this, we went for a game of volley ball.. What a match that was - we were luv - 12 at one point of time, we fought hard and won a losing battle ! thats called PERSEVERANCE....

Time for lunch... hogged so well that I had to wait for an hour before going into the water. There was nothing stopping me once I was in. I tried all my swimming skills against the waves of the wave pool, tried all the banana rides, the jacuzzi and the most boring lazy river too.. hehe..

Water sports can get really tiring.. 2 hours of it and I was almost sloshed with all the water around. So i decided to stop the water-play and move on to a game of Badminton. Aaah, i won there too... YIPPEE...


By now, it was time to pack up... Tired, and worn out faces climbed the bus, and
it was a quiet ride back. The silence was killing me... Slowly we got all the lazy ones active, and joined a game of mimicking the team members.. This was good fun..

All good things come to an end, and so did this one, but it has definitely left a good memory in the minds of all who've attended.

THREE cheers to Mehul and Vinita for organising it !!

Vatsalya... Small things bring great joy ...

Vatsalya Abhayasrama, is an orphanage in Bangalore for girls. I've been going there on Sundays, along with a group of friends, to teach the girls Spoken English, and to help them develop their personality, and communication abilities.

This Sunday, me, Ranjini and Janani were engaging the girls of Standard I to Standard V. What we realized was that they have immense potential, and all they need is an opportunity to show their creativity. Last weekend, we had given them a task for this Sunday. The girls were divided into 2 groups, and they were asked to come up with a small skit, a group dance, and a group song. Each group had a group leader. We told them that we would be giving prizes to the ones who perform well. And this Sunday when we walked into the premises of Vatsalya, what do we see - The girls are applying make up for the drama!! I saw a few girls running around with mustaches ! What an amazing spirit the girls showed. We had never expected this kind of a response from them ! Not only had they worn nice clothes and applied make up (with whatever little things they had), they also had rehearsed very well for their group activities. Each team was filled with enthusiasm to perform. The girls danced, and sang, and it was never ending I must say...

In then end, we gave away the prizes, and it was really heart touching to see the girls jumping with joy on receiving sketch pens and pencils. Lesson learnt : It is small things that give us the greatest amount of joy in life... We also judged the group leaders on their leadership abilities by asking their team members to come and speak about them... They were so overjoyed that the two group leaders stepped ahead to give a THANK YOU speech to us !! Wow... I like the fact that they participated in many events voluntarily... Its this spirit that makes me want to go back to the same place, and help them improve..

The swimmer in me....

Yes.... I finally managed to get into the pool and emulate the fishes :D :D .. I heard of Nisha Millet's swimming classes from a friend, and decided to finally give it a shot... Since I no longer had any CAT headaches, or interview manias (Not like I had tonnes of calls... Just one decent call :(), I was free (Works gets boring, once you know you are planning to do something else in life), and what better to do than learn something I ve never ever done before in life ! And how can it not get better, when I realize that Nisha Millet will be personally coaching me !!

What a humble lady ! She made all of us feel at ease, and I couldn't believe, that I was floating on day ONE !!! Now, thats quite an achievement.. YAHOOO !! Slowly (No - I must say pretty fast) I graduated from floating to learning how to kick in water, to free style, to breast stroke, to back float, to some underwater diving!! - All in a matter of less than a month :) :)

I have a week of classes left.. But I am filled with remorse - I don't wanna stop swimming :-( Its been a wonderful experience learning from Nisha and Biks (the second coach, also her fiancee).. I'm glad I learn t swimming - at least I'll no longer have to stare at people swimming when I go out :) :)

An SP Experience

So here goes my SPJIMR experience..

I had my interview on 29th at 10 am, reached Bombay on 28th Evening, chilled out and saw a few malls around.. Every nook and corner had one !! So Early next morning yours truely woke up and set off to reach the campus at 9.. Bombay traffic didnt trouble me too much.. Maybe Mumbaikers go late to office As soon as I reached, I found my way into the registeration room. All the candidates were made to sit in this room. We had to get our certificates verified - I had carried close to 60 certificates, unfortunately, they just verified my marks and nothing else ! After the verification we were alloted groups, and then we were called for the group interview. Let me mention that I got into SPJIMR campus at 9 , and I was done by 2 o clock, and I was in my interviews or written tests all the while with time to just grab a cup of water in between. Kudos to the adcom or the efficient Time management !! Very very impressive...

So there came my chance to go in. We were seven candidates, and three panelists, one was a student. Initially it was chilled out - they asked us how we found Bombay, and what impressed us about Bombay. This was an ice breaker. Then they gave each of us 1 minute, and we were asked to tell something about our families, ourselves, work ex (if any), adn achievements and hobbies. I was the last one in the row.. I see that people have warned in the previous posts not to give long introductions. I would say that the intro shoudnt be short either. Cos one of the girls gave a very short intro, and they didnt look too impressed.

After this they started picking up people randomly and started questioning them. The student was asking the questions, and he said that his role would be just to ask us questions, and we would be evaluated by the other 2 professors.. One of the girl was asked about her family background . She had a lot to say, as her family had started an NGO... She sure made a good impression. The another girl was asked about her reading habits. She had to describe some book she had read. There was a guy who was grilled on subprime crisis. Lots of questions on Mutual funds, stock markets - Make sure you think of every word you talk, cos they can pick anything and grill you... I had mentioned in my profile that I have learnt bhajans from my gandmom. So they asked me what kind of bhajans, and then they made me sing one I sang, and they all went clap clap... hehe.. Later one of the girls was asked to market a bottle of water - in 30 seconds. A small GD was thrown in, topic - RED is IN - Wasn't a fish market. I was cut once while talking, but I made sure I gave way - Went decently.

After this we were made to sit for 15 mins in the registeration room.. 4 of us made it - 3 girls and one guy.. And I was one of them

Now, we wrote a seven minute test. After this we had a second round of Interview. The panel consisted of two people - one lady and a professor. This was more of a "value" based interview. And they were very clearly looking for clarity of thought, as well as the body language, and our vision for doing an MBA. Though I was the last one seated (cos my name begins with a V - hehe), they always started a topic with me We started with the usual "about me s" - This time they gave us two minutes One of the guy started talking about incidents in his life where he had to make tough decisions - They grilled him a lot on that, and in the end he hardly could finish introducing himself.. One of the guys had a diverse profile - he had travelled to many countries, one of them was a mechanical engineer in an IT firm, and she'd chosen Operations - So they grilled her about why Operations, and why the shift of profile after Engg... One of the guys was working in Jamshedpur , and they were particularly intersted in his profile, as her was the only guy with some different back ground. He had taken tutuions to meet his family needs during a crisis, so they asked him a lot about all ifs and buts of the situation.
They asked all of us to describe any management book we have read, pertaning to our stream of choice. Fortunately I had read an intersting book, and I could talk on that.. Some guys had chosen Info Mgt. and they'd read Marketing books, others vice-versa , so they were asking them why is it that you guys are not "researching" on the field of ur interest - They felt they were confused, and asked for a justification..
Then there was a discussion on Nano.. Later they asked us what we would do if we were given a chance to express one concern that we have about Nano to Ratan Tata.. Went decently..

Few more things here and there - and they asked us if we had any questions for them.. One guy asked about exchange programmes, and gave a few suggestions.. Another guy asked about the selection process.. I told them that I hve no question, but that I would like to appreciate the DOCC programme initiative taken at SPJIMR. One of the profs was like, now that you have said this, let me take 10 more minutes, and we started discussing the social projects undertaken by us, and how relevant it is.. They asked each one of us if we would take up a job at an NGO.. They asked each one of us , if writing a pay cheque and donating is considered a social service.. They also asked each of us where else we ha ve applied, one of the guys was asked what he would choose if given a choice between NItte and SPJIMR .. The second interview according to me went on for at least 50 minutes, and was a really good experience. They expected crisp and up to the point answers..

After this we wrote the 55 minute test... One suggestion to everyone - Write this test fast, and write down whatever comes to your mind - Cos you may run out of time if u think too much

On the whole a very nice experience... Looking forward to make it - I am too fond of the Vada Paavs ....

The Nation's future....

Last Friday, I had the privilege of visiting a small Government high school in the outskirts of Bangalore. It was a project started, thanks to Sharmila, a peer at IBM. She had listed the school as one of the "needs attention" schools in the outskirts of Bangalore. The Goverenment provides free Education, books and uniforms at these schools. However, kids get just one pair of uniform, and very often we see them wearing the same uniform at home too, simply because that is the only pair of dress they have! ROTI, KAPADA, aur MAKAN - these are the three basic necessities of life. Its sad that majority of the Indian kids are struggling to find justice in the basic amenities of life.

We managed collecting a decent fund to provide a pair of shoes and socks to the kids of the school. Thanks to BATA, which agreed to give us the shoes and socks at its Cost Price, and thanks to all the Rational-ites, who contributed whole-heartedly to the cause. Its really touching to see how a small Pat on the Back can make the kids feel special. A simple "What is your name?" brought a wide smile on their faces. I had goosebumps when I entered the small school compound. I saw around 200+ kids eagerly awaiting us - cos they knew we've got them goodies. The whole compound went roaring with claps and excitement when we entered. Such simple things bring them so much joy. There was a small cultural programme, where the kids danced to a few Kannada folk songs. My eyes caught the attention of one of the girls dancing in the group. She was exceptionally good, and stood out among the rest. I took a moment and asked her about herself. All her friends came to speak about her .. "Akka... she always stands first.. She went to the film studio to perform for a scene in Aapitamitra akka".. For those who don't know, Aapitamitra is one of the recent hit movies of the Kannada Film industry. I am glad that her talent was recognised, but a thought that crept into my mind was - Was the girl given a chance in the movie because she would quote a cheaper rate than the others (Or, maybe, fascinated by the opportunity, she would not even have realised that she had to be paid!) ? MAYBE.....

We began distributing the shoes and socks to the kids. They came neatly in a line and collected their shoes and socks. Everyone would shake hands and say Thanks you - Their teacher was instructing them to be well-mannered before us. I was taking a few pics of the kids, and they were so enthusiastic about posing - Everyone wanted their pic :)


I had a feeling of satisfaction when I slept that night. I have complained to my mom about not liking the food she cooked - And here, I see kids who struggle to eat food to even survive. I have complained about not having a new pair of shoes - And here, I see kids walking bear foot. Now, I realise the importance of being satisfied and content with what we have.

Bharat Ratna - Really a RATNA ?

The reason I chose to write about Bharat Ratna, is simply so that I could express my own opinions on it - I know a lot of people are vouching for the award - There are many who are fighting for their comrades and nominating them for the same. But the question remains - Is it a fool-proof process that is followed in awarding someone the Bharat Ratna ? Is it right to let the Govt alone decide who gets the most prestigious award of the country ?

What is the significance of the Bharat Ratna ? Ratna - stands for a precious stone. A Bharat Ratna, according to me is for someone who has changed the entire Outlook of the Country. A Bharat Ratna recipient, should be someone who has revolutionized the country in ways that will be remembered. It should be for the one who has contributed to the social, economic, and overall advancement of the nation - Think of AryaBhatta - His contributions have made India the leading initiator in the concept of Number systems. Think of Mahatma Gandhi - He's created an identity for India by his simple ideologies on non-violence.

Is Bharat Ratna going into the wrong hands ? Is it being murdered by political chaos? There are increasing concerns that it might land up in wrong hands, as every party would want to launch its candidate for the award. There are people around the country, who believe, the Bharat Ratna should not be for politicians. But why ? If someone like JRD Tata could be awarded a Bharat Ratna for having revolutionized the Production Industry in India, why can't a politician, who has done justice to the country be nominated for the award?

One more concern is about Sachin Tendulkar. Someone who has done a wonderful job in his career and made the nation proud. But can someone like him, who has done nothing other than cricket, be eligible for the award? Isn't it time for him to show us that he owes a lot more to the country. I believe he has a long way to go before he grabs the Ratna. The Bharat Ratna, isn't for someone who has excelled in his field alone. I would prefer if its in the hands of someone who has helped us change the face of the nation for the good.

What about Narayan Murthy? Tata - These are industrialists who have given a boost to India's economy. Its high time we revise the process of conferring the award. I think we must have a diverse group judging every nominee and coming to a consensus on the recipient of the award. The Padmashree awards are not debated, because they are field specific, and given after a thorough consultation. The same kind of process should be followed for the Bharat Ratna. Its high time we solve this issue of how to reach a consensus on the award candidate, than thinking of abolishing the award altogether.

I wanna...

"I decided to go on a mountain trek to get some time off to think of my career and when I reached its zenith, I had a sudden realization striking me - MBA" ...."Ever since I was a child I dreamt of being an MBA".... .... MBA means money , hence I wanna do one M.B.A. because I wanna enjoy the student life MBA because..... MBA because..... MBA - blah blah blah blah..... Yes, I'm thinking of "Why an MBA ???" ... Cos I have chosen a path that a million others have ! And now I need to justify myself in ways, million others havent !!


I am on seventh heaven... I went on to accomplish an IIM - and did a pathetic job at it :) But woooooo came another offer from SP Jain, and I'm up n running again !! But I need to sustain myself !! Yepp the tough job starts now ! I gotta beat the big bullies at the interview and rush in for one of the twenty golden seats in contention - And for this, I need to beat 400 odd aspirants.. pheww..

Right now, sitting in my room, and, analysing myself, I realise that I wanna do many things in life !!!
-> I wanna be that news reader on TV who gets everyone's attention
-> I wanna be a Barkha Dutta to host debates
-> I wanna be one of those on TV who analyse markets
-> I wanna start an exotic cafe shop in my city !!
-> I wanna help those kids on the street make their careers
-> I wanna bring a civic sense into the Indian minds
-> I wanna improve the roads in bangalore....
-> I wanna....
-> I wanna...
-> I wanna...

A huuugeeeeee "I wanna" list !!! I am hardly quarter years old u see :) But one small realization that makes me belive I'll go yardsss n yaaards in the journey of life - Everything beings with an "I wanna..." kinda attitude..

Keeping my fingers crossed for the time being :) - If I make through my interview - I'm happy :) - If I dont - Its the biggest boon in life - Maybe I ll get the IIMS :) :) :) :)

God bless me :) (U're right - I am self-centered :D)