A bit of everything...

Why to decide the pitch???

2010-02-11T03:04:00.000-08:00

Before you think about moving away thinking it's a cricket post....well, you are in for a surprise. Let us peep into the intricacies of the match and the economics of it.

For a die-hard cricket fan, rankings matter and are perceived to be a barometer of success. Now, don't ask me if they really are, but they are perceived to be. But, a small matter that goes under the radar is the money that comes with the number 1 status. A country that ends the year as numero uno gets an insignificant 175,000 USD.

Excuse me!!!!!! This puts everything into picture. Since we are playing at home, we also have an advantage of preparing pitches (aah, so they say, but what happened to Kanpur, Kotla 'pitches'???) then why not grab the money too! If I were in the BCCI, I would ring up the curator of Eden and plead him to prepare a rank turner. May be throw some incentives too!

How about a system like this:

India win - BCCI gets 175,000 USD - CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) gets 20,000 INR

(Yes INR!!!!! Sorry for being mean but that is what they really are!!!)

India win by an Innings - CAB gets 50,000 INR (Yes INR!!!!)

India lose - bye bye CAB, get a cab

I came, I struggled and I'm struggling ;)

2009-02-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

I still remember the day when I set my foot in IIM with all those aspirations. I wanted to be big, I wanted to be that someone who no one has seen, I wanted to shape the vision of the world...

CUT....okay, not everything in this is true. Yes, I remember my first day but I don't know if I harboured any big ambitions. I just wanted to maximize my learning. A lazy guy as I'm doesn't always plan for things I guess...any takers ;)

Anyways..where am I? Yeah...the planning. I didn't plan anything. I would be lying I have planned my management study and everything fell in place. Though it didn't happen out of the blue, it wasn't anything lesser.

It was all hunky dory till it all started to fall apart in the recession. Now, basic questions (is it really hunky dory? are you sure it's recession? will it fall ?blah blah blah) apart, it did send shivers down my spine. Is it my fault to pass out in this time when companies are looking to take people who will stay long time and not the ones who can maximize their revenue? Phew...long statements just like the long lines outside the placement office.

It's a learning in itself. The days that gone by have added a feather each in my repository of learning. No one can take away from me the learning of my life. No one can deny that I've had the best phase of my life which has been enshrined with some exemplary events. Thanks to recession, I've come to know the best quality in me - the irritatingly calming calm...

Bekal Trip - part 2 (Concluding)

2008-12-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

I don’t know (didn’t bother to ask either) how long it took for Vroom to wake me and the others up. The time Anas (our driver) took in refreshing has been utilised by Valli and me in watching Aussies struggle against Proteas while Yoki slept like a log. First up on the journey was Bekal Fort…

There wasn’t anything great in the fort but Vroom made sure that we stopped at every joint and clicked the rest of us. Yoki kept teaching the angles (pun intended) in photography but Vroom suggested otherwise. Valli looked a man on mission – he of course had a train to catch in the evening from Kozhikode.

Aaaa dishummmmmm

A brief halt at the old fort was followed by the trip to the beach. It brought the sweet memories of childhood back. Vroom became John Abraham instantly showcasing his 3-4 packs. Rest of us could not dare to bare because of the lesser packs (rest all had only 1 pack). We settled for a more conservative approach.

The tripsters

The next three hours went past like minutes. Vroom and I were pitted against the might of Yoki and Valli in water catching. Probably Yoki underestimated the younger lot! Vroom and I set the beach on fire with our diving efforts. Yoki couldn’t take any more and retired prematurely!

But what followed was something no one expected. Two cute girls who were following us intently settled at a bench opposite us once we came out. Every one of us was pretty sure that they are glancing at him! It just took a cursory glance at their eyes to find out the cynosure of their eyes – Vroom! It seems they have become instant fans of Vroom – the John of Kozhikode. Last seen they were fighting for a photo with Vroom. They even proposed to Vroom that he accompany them to their place but he could not leave us.

And the journey back hostel was stupendous to say the least. The singers in Yoki, Vroom (and surprisingly me) came out to torture Valli with the choicest and oldest Hindi songs. Not that the era mattered for Valli; as long as it’s Hindi, its alien for him. More than Yoki, I surprised myself with the breadth of songs that I could boast! Lunch was followed by Yoki’s surrender – he could no longer occupy the front seat because of the impending sleep. I volunteered on one condition – Prodigal Daughter.

What started as a fun trip proved to be much more than that! It’s hard to compare trips but this one probably ranks above the one we took to Wayanad because of the sheer enjoyment we had; and of course Vroom’s girls. The only blots were that Vroom did not allow me to talk to the girls and that Valli missed the train.

Trip to Bekal - Part 1

2008-12-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

Yoki: We should be going somewhere.

Vroom: Yes. We ought to be out there in the Sun enjoying!

Sid: Yo! Let’s go!

When the initial euphoria died down, it was left to decide the place. Our eternal favourite Wayanad was ruled out right away. After all, we wanted to check out new locations. Silent valley, Mahe featured in our discussions but consensus was on Bekal fort. Butcher’s at home which meant fo(u)rt has to be scaled by the four of us!

The journey which was supposed to start very early in the morning (okay, 11 isn’t morning for most of you; but it is for all of us) got postponed till lunch because of the festive season. Christmas clause reminds everyone of Santa Claus but he did not give us any cabs. After innumerable calls conferencing the cab owners, drivers and our facilitator who is vacationing in Guruvayoor, we settled for an Indica. And the journey started at 3.

I planned for the journey in a big way making sure that Jeffrey Archer and his Prodigal Daughter accompany me. But, a serious threat to its existence from the tall guy made me dump it deep in the bag. Yoki became the DJ, with a difference. DJs normally play the songs people like; but Yoki played only those he liked. Anything close to Himesh or Emraan is dumped at the very first instance. Remixes aren’t on top of his list either which meant he spent more time fast forwarding the clips.

Fists of fury - Yoki feels the heat of Placements' season

The fort (co-called) in Mahe was the first place we stopped at. What would have happened if they did not tell us that it’s a fort? We would have thought it to be an old building; nothing more. Next up was a visit to the drive-in beach to look at the retreating Sun; it wasn’t on the agenda but Vroom was quick enough to spot the chance. Off we went to the beach looking at the setting Sun and enjoying the parachuting skills of the NCC cadets. We had an option of staying over night at the resort at Mahe but chose to go as close to the destination as possible.

Am off for a break sons!

Mahe to Bekal was the best part of our journey because Vroom, Valley and I had an uninterrupted sleep. Poor Yoki had nothing to do except monitor the traffic and count the vehicles. Being a perfectionist as he is, he promised to send us a report of the same once we are back on campus.

The clock was striking 9 when we found a hotel to stay. It was more than decent and the food was also good (much better than the mess we have back at school). The rest of the night was spent in the company of Queens, kings and the jacks. Valley could not beat the tag team of Vroom, Yoki and Sid. But it left us wondering how difficult it is to beat a man who has the lady luck smiling (all the time) on him!

(Next – The trip to the fort and Vroom’s girls at the beach)

Who's YOU want to be?

2008-11-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

We all would like to be someone popular…someone powerful…someone whom we adore. We sometimes want to be that someone who has all our qualities…

How I wish I were a cricketer!

How I wish I were that hero!

How I wish I had good writing skills!

It’s probably human tendency to overlook what we have to crave for what we do not have. I remember my childhood when my brother always used to swap our shares of goodies till they are finalised. The shares were absolutely the same…chocolates, biscuits, crackers…what difference do you have between them? But, he always used to juggle till he reached a decision. I did not realise his predicament until I was a little older than what he was at that time.

I always wanted to be a cricketer…during the cricket season. I wanted to be a Sachin Tendulkar when he hit a match winning century. I wanted to be a Vishwanathan Anand when he played Gary Kasparov (not when he lost, though). I always wanted to be someone else. I always wanted that something which is not mine. I always looked at others’ palette before deciding my colours!

What is the age that really made you think that given a chance, I want to be me again…not any Tom, Dick or Harry? To be frank I still think about others…

Sigh! Why can’t I be like him; he wins almost all the competitions!

God!!! Why can I be like him? He gets to talk to the hottest girls!

I hate him man! He takes away all the girls I eye (and don’t talk, of course)

I will be lying if I say I don’t think all these. But, at the same time, I do think that all this is not what I’m meant to be. I know that I’m what I’m and not what am not…I can write only like me, I can sing only like me…I can’t be an Emraan Hashmi and get to kiss all the girls; I can’t be the AXE ad model who gets to run away to an island with poorly clad models…No, I can never be one of them. And yes, I stopped thinking of others.

Is that Gul Panag in the movie Hello? Wish I was that hero!!!

Next???

2008-10-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

I wake up in the morning and come out of my room. All the hostel rooms in my floor are locked. It's absolutely silent. I don't sense anything foul and proceed to the loo. I wash my face and come back to my room. Strangely, there's not even one person in the floor who's in his room!

I just wondered what could have happened...and go into my room. My laptop is blank strangely...it doesn't work and I can’t do a thing about it. I pump my fists in anger "Damn it! ...What's happening to the network these days?" I then think of utilising the time by having my breakfast.

I move out of my room. In an action out of sheer curiosity, I check for the people on my floor. It's still empty. I just smile to myself and move to the mess.

I meet no one on the way to the mess too. Though the mess area is just a 1 min walk from my hostel, it's quite unusual not to meet anyone. I just brushed it away and enter the mess.

Lo and behold! The mess area is empty too! I just wondered if it's too early. I look at my wrist. "Damn it!"....I forgot my watch. I frantically search for my cell phone....it's not in my pocket...Something must be really weird. I looked up at the wall clock and shit....it's not there....what's happening to this place, I wondered.

I proceeded from the eating area to the serving area. And to my surprise there's no one there as well....What the hell is this; where on earth did they go to?

I thought of venturing into the kitchen. I couldn't hear a bit, which is quite unusual for our kitchen area which always bristles with activity. I moved deep into the kitchen but I could see none, hear none and sense no one!

"Any body here", I gave a small cry....there's no response....I was getting sick by the silence. Someone rightly said, Silence is a killer punch.

"Helloooooooo"....I yelled at the top of my voice.....I could hear the echo...of my own yell, but could hear no one else....this is getting to me now....

Thang.....I hear a sound from a room to my left and in front....I slowly walked to that room....I was little sceptic too since this lonely place is looking scary now and also the fact that I never ventured this deep into our kitchen area...

"Anybody there?"

No reply

"Helloooooooooo"

That was more of a shout than a cry....and it had a response...

Thang...thang...thang....the sounds were a refreshing change from the silence. But they increased the anxiety.

I entered the room and was shocked to see…a tumbling glass; in fact glasses.

Though there is a nice pack of glasses on the table, three of them are on the floor. That probably explained the clattering sound. But who made this pile? Who made this sound??? It's getting stranger and little scarier.

I decided to run out of the room when there was a small sound. Creeeeeekkkkkkk....the sound came from my right side. I could sense my heart which is now beating doubly fast. The sweat beads on my forehead are keeping me cool but there is scare written all over my face!

Creeeekkkk....creekkk....the sound was dying down but not the scare! I was getting nervous. Should I or shouldn't I? This is getting mysterious. Slow steps did take me closer to the sound but deep down I wanted to leave. I was an arm length away from the door when....

Thuddddddd.....the door banged at a very fast rate. I was shell shocked. "Any body there?"...it was more a whisper. I wanted to run away but somehow my legs pulled me closer to the door.

I slowly opened the door. This room looked old...very old. There were some huge utensils at a corner of the room and some old furniture. But what fascinated me is a revolving chair at the centre of the room. I took small steps towards the chair. "Hello...." this is surely meant to be heard by whoever is sitting in the chair. It evoked no response. "He...." I was about to speak out when I heard…

"Any body there?".... Is that someone yelling to him...."Anyone in....hellooooooo" this time they shouted.

I wanted to run back in that direction. I left the room and was walking back. Casually I glanced back; the revolving chair is now not there. Or am I imagining things? It must have been not visible from this angle. But, I didn't move any acute angle. It was just a straight path.

I now got back into the eating area. Wonder! There's no one...then who yelled? I tried looking at all sides...even in the little area just outside the mess...to my surprise there's no one. Then who yelled? Am I imagining all this? It looked baffling!

I went back to the kitchen. I decided to unravel the mystery of the chair. Didn't it move? It certainly did...and I saw it. A glance to my right side and there was a big white wall! The room I went in a couple of minutes back was not to be seen!

I was shell shocked....I moved closer to the wall inching with smaller steps and touched the wall...it's as solid as ever.

Thuddddd......my hand went inside the wall....and I was sucked into it....

The room I entered is full of skeletons...tens...may be hundreds of them piled in all directions.

I could see only one living being around; sitting on a chair at some distance. I started moving towards him.

My second or third step was on a skeleton which made me shriek. The voice made the person turn over.

"Oh....here you are! Time for me to go....hihihihihihihihihihihihi"....the wicked smile was too much to take. It was psyching me out.

All of a sudden, his head fell on the ground and the body (without the head) slowly moved through the opposite wall. The beheaded head became the fresh skeleton.

Will I be the next skeleton?

Go Pink in October!

2008-09-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Pink is for women! Is it?

No more...get a pink badge to support the Breast cancer campaign for the month of October. And to make matters clear, breast cancer is as prominent among men as is among women. So feign no ignaorance, it can happen to any one of us. More over, flashing a badge isn't something out of our reach. Or is it?

Visit the site http://pinkforoctober.org and you could find out lots of info on this. If you like to be part of the campaign - write it in your blog, out out a pink color, do anything you want to. If you didn't like it - so be it. Life moves on :)

Mad and his girls

2008-09-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Mad: (With his hand on his left cheek) I got slapped by a girl!

Sad: What happened?

Mad: You remember Meenakshi?

Sad: That good looking fair and short height girl? Yes, I do!

Mad: We met in the library. She collected some books and was leaving for her hostel. I asked if I can drop her and she slapped me.

Sad: What exactly did you say?

Mad: I said, “Meenakshi… main tumhe hostel mein chod du?”

Sad: Hmm…she really must be allergic to her hostel.

______________________________________________________________

Mad: Sadddddd…. Guess what?

Sad: You got a new room?

Mad: No… I just got a date proposal from Milano

Sad: Is that a girl?

Mad: (Shouting) Yessss…the Italian girl with long and curly hair, who came on an exchange. She asked me out tonight. And I said yes…

Sad: How does she look like?

Mad: Tall, fair, quite muscular for a girl. She was quite serious about the date and said that she hates people who turn their backs after agreeing for a date.

Sad: Hmm…good for you

Mad: She apparently broke the nose of a guy who did this to her last week. But, why on earth would someone reject her proposal.

Sad: (Laughing uncontrollably) Best of luck mad…the data base says there’s only one person who’s come on an exchange from Italy and it’s a guy!

_____________________________________________________________

Mad: Guess what? At last Meenakshi agreed.

Sad: Wow. That’s great. Where are you going?

Mad: To her hostel.

Sad: What?

Mad: She agreed to me accompanying her to the hostel from the library

Sad: Huh…at last!

Oh my friend, it hurts!

2008-09-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

The day we chose to be friends and I spoke my heart out

You chose to fill in the spaces and speak your way out

Oh my friend, it hurts!

The day you asked me to speak nothing but fact

I chose to follow and you made it no more than an act

Oh my friend, it hurts!

The day you proclaimed friends for life

I didn’t know it was a well-disguised knife

Oh my friend, it hurts!

The day you told me it’s all fabrication

And you wished to use this confession as an act of salvation

Oh my friend, it hurts!

The precious moments we spent is a thing of the past

Etched in my memory are the days of blast

Oh my friend, it hurts to forget things!

Sad and Mad

2008-09-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sad and Mad are two friends busy planning their one-week holiday next week

Mad: Why don’t we go to Kashmir?

Sad: Are you Mad?

Mad: Yes, of course….

Sad: No, not that mad…I mean, the real mad, screwed up in the upper storey.

Mad: Oh c’mon…it’s a cool place and I’ve never been there

Sad: It is…but if you go there, you would never be to any other place.

Mad: Why not? If you are worried about that VISA thing, I have my uncle working in customs, he can smuggle us.

Sad: Are you mad? I mean, screwed up mad? We don’t need a VISA to visit Kashmir.

Mad: Oh is that…when did they change that?

Sad: Just before you turned Mad.

Mad: Forget it...That leaves us with Assam, Arunachal Pradesh

Sad: Dude…you really are psyching me out. You want me to be taken hostage by some Chinese or ULFAs? I don’t want to venture into that unknown North-East.

Mad: Then how about Gujarat?

Sad: You are a goner…don’t you want to live peacefully, at least trip peacefully.

Mad: If you are worried about the communal violence, my uncle is in the police. He would help us out.

Sad: Err…isn’t he in the customs a few minutes back.

Mad: This one’s that custom guy’s brother.

Sad: Whatever…would you call that a pleasure trip or a pressure trip? How about “Summer camp with the police force”

Mad: Wowww….sounds great

(Sad gives a totally weird look which gets Mad back on track)

Mad: Ok…I was just kidding. Then what are we left with?

Sad: Why not a trip to Tirupati? The most happening place in the whole of South India

Mad: (mocking) Oh yeah…and get your head tonsured and visit those lovely temples in and around that place

Sad: Stop it Mad…that’s Lord Balaji….ok fine… how about Kanchi?

Mad: Excuse me…

Sad: Ok…How about Poori, Mahabaleswar…

Mad: Oh my God!!! You were never sad!

Sad: What do you mean? I was always sad…by birth

Mad: Oh yeah…in a way you are true.

Sad: Whatever…so where are we heading to now?

Mad: We will go to Kerala. So many places to hang out; Munnar, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Allepey…and the Kerala babes…ooohhh…Rock on!

Sad: That’s great …and it’s a gay state…right?

Mad: Dude….I never knew that you were gay…Oh My God! And we were like….staying together.

Sad: Excuse me… am not mad, neither am I gay…. Okay, is Kerala on now?

Mad: I guess so….unless you bring up something better!

Sad: Thinking of it, what about a trip to Hyderabad? Charminar, old city, pearls….oooo..isn’t it wonderful?

Mad: You know what… you are sad

Sad: I know that; since birth!

Mad: Oh my God...you are freaking sad

(They ended up going nowhere!)

When in doubt...look into the eyes

2008-07-24T05:52:00.000-07:00

My friend once gave me a suggestion... When you are in doubt look into the eyes. They would never lie. I don't know what he was thinking when he said this, but I started implementing it in my daily life. I thought my 'strike rate' (if you don't understand what this means, well, keep reading :D) might improve with this technique. It proved...otherwise

I was in my college then. I was never sure what Ms. M thought about me. Then came the thought of 'eye-test'. I took her out and kept looking at her eyes all the time. She felt a lil awkward.

What are you gazing at?

It looked a little awkward for me too... looking at eyes (and not something else :P) for a change. I kept looking. She couldnot hide her discomfort.

Why are you looking that way?

I'm trying to understand what your lovely eyes tell me.

She blushed - And what did they say?

That you are squint-eyed.

The hot tomato soup ordered made its way on to the neatly dyed suit of mine!

It was no different for the next couple of years. I was going around looking into the eyes of everyone I go around...there were rumours in my locality that I've gone from bad to worse; from insane to completely dangerous and many more. But I was hell bent on testing this strategy. After all, it was from a casanova!

This journey took me through all sets of eyes... blue,black,green,blue,sleepy,kinky...what not, the palette was always full. Some eyes which had sympathy for me (probably they believed that I'm insane), eyes which had disgust, eyes which had lust and eyes which had nothing!

One day, a pair of eyes looked so beautiful... I was flat for those eyes and desperately wanted to take those eyes (err...along with the person who owns them) out. I made the move and asked her out. There was a yell and a cry...a cry that had the power to propel me into outer universe. I came to my senses and looked at her. She's my principal's daughter!

I didn't know till that day that my principal has 'fists of fury' and is trained with the shaolins. I decided to dump my 'eyes-theory' that day.

Next day, I saw an article in the news paper... 'Gazing at women's b**** improves your eye sight'... Time to test a new theory ;)

I don't drink...

2008-07-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

I don’t drink…

My friend says drinking helps him forget the past
I don’t want to forget my past that fast
I don’t drink…

My friend says drinking helps get the child inside him out
I can call the child inside me anytime without doubt
I don’t drink…

My friend says a peg of drink eases him in any party
I can be comfortable all by myself in any state or country
I don’t drink…

My friend says it helps him lose his inhibitions
It’s those inhibitions that make my ambitions
I still don’t drink…

Kolkata shirt raisers

2008-05-05T04:06:00.000-07:00

Team name: Kolkata Shirt raisers (named after their favourite son you-know-who’s famous act at ‘Lords’-know-where)

Owner: SRK
Slogan: Jeetna mushkil hi nahin, naa munkin hain
(And it turned out to be true!)

Team Management:
Dada - Captain cum shirt riser err…fund riser

Coach: Steve Waugh (SRK wanted him in spite of Dada’s request to hire John Wright. SRK found that Udayan (a charity organisation run by Steve) children have voted Aamir Khan as the best actor. So he wanted to market himself through Steve).

Batting Coach: Greg Chappell (Again, SRK rules - dada said that Kolkata crowd will be volatile against Greg to which SRK said – Main hoon na.)

Bio mechanist and Assistant Batting Coach: Ian Frazer (Because Greg Chappell always comes in a package with this guy. It is rumoured that Greg can stay away from his wife for months but not from this guy!)

Sledging Coach: Javed Miandad (SRK believes that his team needs a sledging coach and identified Miandad as the potential candidate. Dada, to oppose SRK, proposed Venkatesh Prasad as his nominee!!!)

Fielding Coach: Farah Khan (Fielding is about moving your hands and legs –SRK. Dada wanted Geoffrey Boycott but SRK said he wanted a ‘genuine fielder’ to be his fielding coach)

Media Manager: Inzamam-Ul-Haq( SRK nominee. Dada wanted Aamir Sohail but SRK jumped when he heard ‘Aamir’. SRK vetoed Dada saying Taare Zameen par nahin mere poster par hote hain)

Casting Coa(u)ch (Shakti Kapoor: SRK wanted help from Shakti Kapoor to cast players for his team. Shakti immediately said yes when he heard ‘casting’. He did not hear that he had to select men!!!)

Bowling Coach: Geoffrey Boycott (This was the last vacancy left and Dada told SRK that Geoffrey was a legendary ‘bowler’ for England who took a wicket whenever he was asked to bowl. SRK was not told how many times Geoffrey was asked to bowl)

SRK recruited Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Andrew Flintoff (Dada wanted none of them as all of them had altercations with dada at some point but SRK ko manana mushkil hain) beside a host of local and national talent. They organised a 3 day camp for the players before the start of the tournament.

After the camp, the media meets with the media manager.

Media Meeting: Inzamam is with the reporters to explain the day’s practice.

Reporter: How was the practice session inzy?
Inzy: Bismillah…. Sabse pahle allah ka shukr hain. The boys played well. They catch the balls, hit the balls of Geoffrey and dance the legs of Farah. Boys practiced really hard.

Rep: How is it working with stars like Dada, Warne, Ponting, Graeme Smith and of course SRK.

Inzy: They all are below the earth. No attitude showings. Boys practiced really hard

Rep: Why do you have so many coaches when other teams have only one or two?

Inzy: We have so many boys from different countries. All play together for Kolkata. Boys practiced really hard. We have no problems.

Rep: (Little frustrated that his question has not been answered) we wanted to know as to why you have these many coaches.

Inzy: Inshallah we will win the trophy. When the balls are there our batsmen will hit. When we field, our bowlers will bowl all balls line and length. All boys practiced really hard.

Rep: We heard that you have a casting coach as well? Why do you think such a coach is required and of all people why Shakti Kapoor?

Inzy: We believe in experience. More experience more knowledge…more knowledge more experience. Shakti is experienced in Casting for movies. Here it’s not different. Boys selected will be practicing hard.

Rep: Why did you select Geoffrey as your bowling coach?

Inzy: Geoffrey is old and experienced. We believe this gets our bowlers gets the balls in the right areas. Good batsmen know what bowlers do and Geoffrey is a good batsmen.

Rep: Will you be the one coming after every match for the media meeting, Inzy?

Inzy: Cricket is a team game. All 11 play cricket and team wins. But, I’m responsible for talking to media. I talk and you hear till the tournament ends. Boys practiced really hard.

There were no more questions since none of the reporters stayed after this!!!

Mission Statements only for companies? Think again...

2008-04-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

I was having a discussion with one of my friends on the mission statements of companies. It was all substance (pun intended) but made me think…think about life. What if we need to write a mission statement for our life? Will it be the nearest thing we can ever come to finding the need for our existence? May be…

To become a good human being and uphold all human values – hmm…too heavy a statement to describe anyone. How would it be if every one of us comes up with his/her vision statement? Then our interviews, job as well as educational, will have some questions on our vision statements also. How do you think that you are going to uphold human values? What are human values? Why only human values why not animal values?

Then there would be coaching institutes:
T.I.M.S (Triumphant Institute of Mission statements)
“90% of the students admitted in IIMs and IITs have their mission statements prepared by us. – validated by KPMG” (pun intended!!!)

Group tasks will be based on vision statements – group of 10 needs to come up with one statement that signifies their group. There would be offers from FMCG companies – come up with a good vision statement for our CEO and you will win a trip for two to Washington to meet the U.S. president. There would be cases filed in courts saying that the mission statement of one Mr. X has been copied by Copy Malik (great grand son of music composer ‘Copy all’ Malik)

If you are still reading this, don’t worry about me – I’m still not Krazzy

Kozhikode to Gurgaon....

2008-04-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Any sane person would love to camp in Ooty, Kodaikanal or some hill station in the summers and I chose GURGAON. The beautiful hot city of the north which boils to the max in summer and gives a chance to do a 'Salman Khan'. This, believe me, is something which I could not prevent! Given a chance I would camp in an Ooty or a Nainital but I'm left with no other choice. American Express doesn't have an office there!

Yeah...AmEx is my destination for the summers. My two months of summer internship where I'm supposed to learn about the industry practices and understand how practical are the theoritical principles we mug in our MBA courses. Two months is always very short to do something substantial but still...

Believe me, my joining date was April 1. I didn't have enough time to fly back home which meant I will have two days before I join AmEx. The flight from Kozhi-Mumbai-Delhi had Sangini and KB (Kaustubh) giving company to me. Ofcourse, we had Shahrukh and Shaan accompanying us at different stages!

Wayanad trip photos

2008-03-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

The Waterfalls

We couldnot get enough of it. It was awesome...

Wayanad is full of these!!!

There's only one color around there...yeah, green

Wayanad Trip - II

2008-02-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

After our ‘head(light)-less’ journey heroics, we embarked on our search for a shelter. Wayanad is a place which doesn’t boast of too many hotels. Middlemen make money by doubling some guest houses as hotels. The middleman we settled with took us through many locations. One was a shabby small hotel; another was a scary lonely building (I couldn’t stop from thinking of its similarity with the building in a Telugu film Mantra including an unused car in front of the house!!!) and many more. Finally we settled with two double rooms in a decent looking hotel.

We planned to visit the waterfalls, lake and the peak the next day. However, considering Langda tyagi (read Varun)’s situation, we dropped the visit to the peak. A light breakfast started our day and we are off to the waterfalls.

Believe me, the place is a visual delight. There’s greenery everywhere and after every 100 metres we were stopping to click some photos. It was no wonder, this state is called God’s Own country. There was so much natural beauty on view and we couldn’t take our eyes off it.

Talking to hardcore mallus in English, Hindi and Tamil (Valli) we somehow made our way to the waterfalls. We had to park our bikes some 2 km before the steep route to the falls began.

We had to take a call now on Langda Tyagi and he decided not to risk his limbs. This meant it was left to the three of us, Yoki, Valli and me to continue the journey. The sight of the waterfalls brought a huge grin even on the face of Yoki (he uses it very very very sparingly). The next one hour was real fun. Water was cold and the flow was electrifying but the experience was enthralling. Even a minute spent directly under the flowing water was like a hot massage.

An hour in the water looked like a minute and all of us wanted more but Tyagi alone. So, we had to start again!

Next stop for us is the lake. The ride in the lake was pretty awesome; and tiresome too! Valli and I took the duty of peddling the boat and were enjoying it though can’t say the same about our legs. The scenic beauty had all of us spell bound. We started on our journey back to Kozhikode right after.

It was a weekend spent well. Though we missed Butcher (aka the usual suspect – Vimal) in the whole trip and Varun in some parts, it was memorable for many reasons- the bike ride, the waterfalls, lake trip, the visit to the scary guesthouse…everything was as memorable as the other. Tired bodies were carried back to the hostel with echoing words Yeh Dil maange more!!!

Trip to wayanad - thrill, masti, fun...we had it all (PART I)

2008-02-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

Journey through a ghat section is always tricky, especially if it is in the night. Add to that an aged bike which has no headlights as the transport medium and you have a recipe for a movie thriller. My trip to Wayanad the last week was exactly this.

End of a gruelling mid term (bouncers…bouncers…and more bouncers…Lee has a competition from my examination blues) brought the best of smiles on our faces. A rare weekend of no deadlines meant we have two full days to enjoy. It took no time in deciding the destination – Wayanad. Long over due, this trip is something we were looking forward to.

After the dropout of ‘the usual suspect’, four of us – Valli, Yoki, Varun and I, started on our journey at around 5 P.M. from the campus. Varun braved a ‘major’ leg injury to join us on the trip. None of us know the route but we have affable mallus helping us out. Half an hour into the journey and Yoki dropped a bomb shell - Yaar my bike doesn’t have a head light. Holy Jesus!!! We are embarking on a ghat trip, in the night and we have a bike without head lights! A quick stock of the situation and we decided to go on with the journey. But how? Valli would be on our side functioning as our beacon. It was very thrilling. We haven’t yet started on the ghat and Yoki was circling the turns, literally.

Enter the ghat...well it wasn’t the first time that I’m travelling on a bike at night but definitely the first time on a head (light) less bike. It was very funny because whenever the beacon (read Valli’s bike) was away from us, we were riding blind. Whenever we used to encounter a bus or a truck going in the same direction, Yoki would say that we need to stay behind and relax. But the pace of that vehicle used to be the deterrent and we used to move on.

Not even scary turns or steeply curves deterred us. And in some of the turns we even got the better of our beacons. The ghat section was very enthralling and we really enjoyed the 40 odd minute trip. Then we were on the normal road. But still, we do not have a head light which meant it’s still a handicap. To make matters worse, it started raining. Then, we just missed a snake which was lazing on the road; and we never knew that at that time.By the time we reached Wayanad and checked into our rooms it was around 10 in the night. It was an eventful journey and I enjoyed every bit of it though I can’t say the same of Yoki.

Yoki was a little scared and he was scared to hell when we saw the ghat the next morning. He was left speechless.

A picture is worth a thousand words. But, am not sure if the above pic gave you an impression of what the ghat actually is! It was a sort of journey (on a lightless bike) which I wouldn’t subscribe to any of you, but I should admit one thing….I loved it

Not Just another SMS (Concluding part)

2008-01-16T12:33:00.001-08:00

Did I miss anyone? I wish I did! Because the last thing I want to hear at this point is that a 50 year old ‘girl’ is the one who’s making me do all these rounds. Her smile brought me back to senses. It’s not the ticket clerk. Her voice was naughtier than normal. I will be in Hyderabad in the same college as Nikki has come to. So, you can catch me there in the fest. Off went the phone.

Now everything is in place. Nikki isn’t leaving the college. She went for the annual fest of that college with which we have mutual agreement. And Radha and Nikki wanted to check if I like her or not. Now, my chances lie in reaching Hyderabad for the summit. There’s only one option left and that’s Mohan. I need to catch up with him and get his approval to be a last minute entrant. Believe me, I had shell a big party to catch the last available seat on the trip.

The next day was spent convincing my parents that I’m actually going on a ‘study’ tour. The journey was never boring. I was actually in a different compartment to the others, because of the last minute entry. They were all tired and went to sleep as soon as they got into the train. I was left alone in the company of a grim looking young man, probably couple of years elder to me. It took a lot of talking from me to find out that he actually is coming to the same fest in Hyderabad to meet his sister.

We became friends after that and went to the college together in Hyderabad. He, on a different mission and I on a different one. He was talking something but I could not concentrate a bit on him. Suddenly he exclaimed - There goes my sister! Let me call her. You can meet. I turned to find a good looking girl turning up. She was talking something to her brother but I didn’t heed to all that. I was only worried about Soumya. I took my cell out to call her up. The guy wanted to introduce me to his sister this is...The ring of my phone stopped him. It’s Soumya. I thanked God ‘cos I wanted a reason to move out. Welcome to Hyderabad…So hows the journey with that guy been? It’s almost as if she has a tracking device! Now you have to catch me up in the next two hours ad my program ends in the next couple of hours. All the best! God!!! What is my option now? How do I track her?

The train guy caught me again. Hey you didn’t meet my sister. Let’s go to her program which is happening now in the auditorium. To hell with you and your sister, I want to search for Soumya. I took a lame excuse that I would join him again and went off.

It’s my first time in this college and it looked really good. There is so much activity going on with the fest coming into its own. I made up my mind that the next year will have me as a participant. But first I need to catch Soumya. A pat on the back and I turned back to se Nikki! So you came to the college at last…my friends are true that guys go any length and distance to meet girls. I couldn’t say no. C’mon we have our college drama team in the auditorium performing in the finals. Let’s watch it. The drama was pathetic but my company wasn’t. Nikki looked every inch an angel! How I wish she were Soumya! Wait a minute…she could as well be! Soumya...I called her. She did not even give a cursory glance. My joy was short lived. The next couple of hours were over in a jiffy. Nikki is too good with her company. Only concern was that I missed Soumya out here.

I got a call from Soumya at around 5 in the evening when I was alone with Nikki. Keep enjoying with her dude. You are not for me! She banged the phone. I thought this was bound to happen as she was jealous of Nikki. Anyways…I’ve Nikki for myself. Nikki was talking to a guy of approximately my age a little animatedly. For the first time, I felt jealous. So, I knew who I really love…its Nikki and not Soumya. We started to the station.

Nikki and I were in the same compartment and started enjoying the train ride. We were oblivious to the entire surroundings. Then the same guy turned up again. I could see a big smile flashing on her face and they both went somewhere. The fifteen minutes she spent away from me looked as if it were days! Finally when she turned up, I asked her rather sheepishly about him. He’s my fiancé. He was your super senior in the college and a family friend of mine. He’s working in….Nothing went into my ears. Not even her beautiful words. For the first time in the day, I wanted to stay away from her. I missed Soumya for the first time. And Soumya isn’t lifting my call. Am I the perfect case of “One in hand is worth two in a bush”It was mechanical after that till I reached home. Mom told me that Radha called a couple of times. I took my time out to refresh and then called her. It was the usual leg pulling…I asked her not to link me to Nikki any more as she’s engaged. Radha burst out laughing…She isn’t engaged. She was just playing a prank. It must be her brother. Again, the world looked beautiful. I wanted to call Nikki; to say to her immediately that I’m in love with her. I decided that it’s Nikki that I’m in this world for. I reached for my cell when it started ringing…SOUMYA…calling!!!!

P.S: This finishes the story and brings the protagonist back to square one...dilemma where he needs to decide betweenn the two girsl. This fictitious story is written for fun and any resemblacne is unintentional.

Not Just another SMS (Part 3)

2008-01-08T02:12:00.000-08:00

(My apologies for not being prompt enough with the posts. )

I still don’t remember how I came back home. But the moment I stepped into my room, the mobile ring brought me back to senses. It’s Soumya!!! Well…I’m in for a treat. This is the first time she’s calling me. This must be something special. I was surprised when she brought in the topic of Nikita. She was furious (or jealous?) that I talked to her. I couldn’t convince her that it was she who came to talk to me. Bang went the line.

Hey!!! How did she know this? This means she’s in the party. I called her back but the mobile is off. I was really impatient. I tried to look at the different possibilities. She could be Radha’s classmate. Yes…she is Radha’s classmate. Now I need to know from Radha who enquired about me. It’s too late in the night to call her. And the night seemed long!

It wasn’t even 7 in the morning when I called Radha up. She tried recollecting all the people who enquired about the two of us (Nikita and me). There were so many guys from her class (obvious) and some relatives. She said that none of the girls asked about me. And there’s no one by the name Soumya. Phew! This one’s also gone. And the mobile looks switched off to glory. What can I do? Radha started teasing me again on Nikki. What’s up bhayya? You seem to be after my friend. Help chahiye kya. She doesn’t even know that Nikki is just the bait.

I was about to cut the line when Radha said Nikki is leaving to Hyderabad. She’s joining a college there on a mutual transfer. Shock after shock! I do not know if not finding Soumya is painful or this one is. I inadvertently said I want to meet her…again. Radha burst out laughing. I know…but the train leaves in another 30 min. So, better hurry. Oops…destiny has conspired against me, again.

Never before did I crave for someone like this. I was off to the station on my bike. I need to get her something. I wasn’t sure. Flowers, chocolates??? I zeroed on Expressions. Thanks to the companies that come up with innovations. Half the job is done by them ;)

I was at the station and I could her see her smile from a distance. It looked so radiant and vibrant. Will she remember me? I should have asked Radha to inform her of my arrival. I was surprised to see her give me a big smile when she looked at me. Hi Siddhu…so you have been tracking me. I couldn’t say a bit. I wish the Expressions conveyed everything to her. I wished the time stops there with everyone except the two of us stationary. It didn’t :(

Thoughts of our meeting yesterday swept my mind. How I wished we met earlier? It’s Soumya again that brought me back to senses. I know you would never find me; even if you see me. I know you are smitten by that girl but I’m no less beautiful. But, where on Earth are you! I talked to you right now right here…just before you left to greet Nikki. Oh my God!! I spoke to the ticket clerk just before greeting Nikki. And she’s a 50 year old!!!

Not just another SMS (Part2)

2007-12-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

Contd... (This part onwards it will be written in the context of the protagonist)

What shall I do? The 5 minutes I took contemplating what to do seemed like eternity. Don't know why but this Soumya looked innocent for me. I made up my mind not to keep her in dark. Pat went the reply I got this number quite recently...about 2-3 weeks back. You must have mistook me for someone else. I'm Siddhu, doing my Engg in F.U.N College. I was relieved. But how would I know that life throws up surprises at a scorching pace! I received another SMS from her saying I know who you are and what you are. Its just that you dont know me. I'm in the same college as you. Its upto you to catch me.

That almost shook my world. Is this girl crazy? Or is it some kind of a joke? I could not think beyond my class for the girls I know and remember. For the first time in my life I felt embarrassed....embarrassed that I did not expand the horizons of my network. Worse still, I couldnot remember the names of the girls I talk to other than my section friends. Jesus!!! What is happening to this poor soul! The grey cells of my brain introduced another complex variable at that stage. Last month we played the same trick on one of our friends who entered the mobile world. Is history repeating in itself? Is it the work of the gang members? It gave me immense pleasure...Thank God! I do not need to think further....

Next day was my friend Ravi's birthday. This is one guy of our gang who is closer to me than to the rest. He called all of his friends to a party on the beach. As usual, the rest of us were a little dicey. Shall we go to the party? We will be bored. I was the first to throw a suggestion that we should have a party of our own from Ravi at a later point of time. Everyone disagreed and I had to budge down. We decided that we will turn up late and slip early. But, I never knew at that point that this is a season of surprises for me!

I went to the location on time. I have to admit that we would have rued our decision had we decided to give it a slip. So many gals and it looked so colorful. But sigh, what use....main aur meri tanhayee... I was not the last to arrive but certainly one of them. The surprise was that I was the only one from the gang to turn up. To my shock, when I called each of them, everyone replied that they are not coming. What can I do now...Sing the song...eat the cake...watch the show

Precisely that's what happened. I took my plate and was the only loner around. The waves looked pleasant and the Moon resplendent. You seem to enjoy your loneliness more. I heard a sweet voice. It was one of the gals. I wasn't sure if she's from the same college or not but I was sure that I saw her some where. Can I sit here? She asked. The Moon no longer looked beautiful. Ofcourse, my pleasure. I offered her a place on the sand to my left. I saw most of the couples sitting in such a way that the girl is to the left. I am not a novice in observing.

So, how are you related to Ravi? I knew immediately that this is one question which I should have avoided. Ravi already told me that it's gonna be a purely close friends party. I'm his sister's friend. She replied ever so sweetly leaving me puzzled. Does that mean she is not from our college?. I thought for a second. My name is Siddhu. I'm Ravi's class mate. It seemed another stupid introduction. I'm Nikita. I always thought there's nothing velvety than silk. I was wrong. Her mild hand shake reminded me that I know very little in this world of the fairer sex.

The next 20 minutes passed as if it were seconds. She gave nothing away. She asked a lot about me being alone here, my friendship with Ravi and Radha(his sister) and my hobbies. For every query of mine, her answers were ambiguous. They left me more confused. Nikki it's getting late. We should make a move. It's Radha. For the first time, I gave her a serious look. So, Siddhu bhaiyya aap ki tanhayee ko meri dost ne disturb to nahin kiya. I immediately understood that Radha is hell bent upon teasing me. No. She made me realise the essence of beauty. The words never went beyond me. Nikita got up and gave a beautiful smile. Nice talking to you Siddhu. Hope we meet again. I almost immediately asked when and where. Instead I gave her a pleasant smile. At that moment I wasn't sure which one is more splendid...the Moon or her smile.

I had to watch in awe as she left me moving slowly towards Ravi's car. I saw Radha saying something to her and rushing back towards me. What happened bhaiyya. Flat for Nikki? Girls tend to have a sense of all these things. Probably their curiosity for gossip helps them in these matters. The 5-10 sec gap I took gave her enough cues. Want to meet her again. Want her mobile number? Batao na bhaiyya. My heart said Yes which she could not hear. No Radha. Some other time. Ravi's waiting for you. She left givin me a smirk...a smirk that told me that she caught me napping.

I wanted the day to end then and there. I wanted nothing else for the night but as is the norm for the past couple of days, there still are surprises in store for me...

To be contd....

Not just another SMS

2007-12-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

Siddhu is just like any one of us. A B.Tech III year student in a small college. He likes hanging our with friends and hates studies. Sports is always on top of his criterion. He recently celebrated his birthday and guess what, his papa gave him a present he dearly wanted. A cell phone! Siddhu was persuading his parents to get him a cell phone for a long time for now. He believes that adds to his trendy appeal.

Cell phone added a new dimension to Siddhu's life. He started exchanging numbers with every friend, close or otherwise. He was fascinated with the Short Messaging Service or the SMS. He felt it's the best (and the chepest) way to keep in touch with friends. A no-nonsense way of messaging even at odd hours. Slowly but steadily he got addicted to SMS ing. He never knew at that stage that this fascination would change his life.

It was just another normal day for Siddhu. Classes as usual, chatting with friends, computer games and his favourite pass time...SMS. At around 10:30 in the night, he received an SMS. There's no name flashed which meant this is from someone anonymous. It read "Idiot...it's been ages since u msged me. Wht hpnd?". He was puzzled. This must have been a 'Wrong SMS' ala wrong call. Siddhu promptly replied "This is Siddhu. Looks like u mistook me for someone". Patt came the answer from the anonymous "When did u forget ur name. Now don't say u forgot that I'm Soumya".

Siddhu jumped up....It's a girl on the other side. he couldnot remember any of his friends named Soumya...What should I reply? The biggest question doing rounds in Siddhu's mind....

To be contd...

Gimme just one idea not these mannnny!

2007-12-01T13:41:00.000-08:00

Yeah! That's true...I get so mannny ideas. That too not sporadically but at regular intervals.

I wanted to be a cricketer in my childhood. Huh...just like any second Indian, thanks to Sachin. And what did I do to fulfill that? Nothing...literally nothing. Just played some tennis ball cricket and rarely played with cricket ball. Infact, I took pleasure in watching my bro participating in some league cricket. One thing stopped me from pursuing my dream...fear...fear that I might not reach it...fear of charting an untreaded path. I chose to live without my dream.

Next up in my list was to become an actor. I would dance to every song that's played in the television ( that actually decreased the frequency of TV watching in our house. People stayed away from the TV set to stay away from watching me dance!) I would mimic any hero and situation and perform at home. Poor chaps at home! They had to endure all these!!! Becoming an actor was just a fad...I never thought about it seriously. It was more of a time pass...

There were many to follow... book writer, film maker, ad designer...ohhhh! What not? There were too many tangential ideas churning from time to time. The small box between the ears kept giving me ideas, kept me going. The only thing that my mind didn't do was to show a particular direction; to show me that this is what I'm cut out for.

I'm still doing what I do the best. Waiting!!! Waiting for that one signal; for that one moment of truth which will set me on my path. And yes...I've company...my little box is still giving me ideas!

AIMS @ IIM K

2007-11-02T23:24:00.000-07:00

"It's a holiday resort. Studying there is like spending your holidays". If this is what you think of IIM Kozhikode, take your time out for AIMS 2007. IIM K's annual technology summit at a level that is unexpected from a B-School. Believe me, it's going to exceed all your expectations.

So, what are you waiting for....take a look at our website www.aims2007.com. You better make it fast to keep pace with others because The world is looking at IIM K. Where are you?

Who am I?

2007-10-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

The first question in any interview...first question in any ragging session...first question in any informal meeting...Tell about yourself. I do make it a point to prepare for this question before every meeting. And I succeed in posting an image. But, who really am I? What's my existence? What's my USP?

If I start thinking about all these, I get more questions than answers. I never know my USP. To be honest, I never thought about this. I'm good at so many things but USP???? hmm...I write well, but can't call that my USP. I speak well, but that agian isn't my USP. Then, what is my USP? Is it necessary that I have a USP? Can I not be a jack of all trades and master of none?

I would love to give my answer for that but would not. I would rather leave it for discussion...

Funny are the ways of life...

2007-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

...Yeah they are. We do not appreciate our college until we are out of it. We do not value our friends until we are away from them. We do not miss our family until we are in an alien place.

Even if we do appreciate, do we express it? Rather, do I express it? When was the last time I told my father that I really loved his guiding hand? When was the last time I told my best friend that I miss him? We take it for granted that our feelings are understood. Alas!!!

Personally, I'm very very less articulative. It took me 24 years to tell my dad that he's the best. Not that I don't know or I'm afraid of telling. I took it for granted that my dad knows my feelings. It took me as many years to tell my friends that I miss them. I always thought Does it matter? They anyways know that.

Does it work? Well, sometimes yes and many times no. You need to understand the importance of articulation. No matter where you are, a small call or a small hello would do. Believe me, it works. You understand it only when you are at the receiving end. So, what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and call that old buddy who was always there for you. Tell him how much you miss him. You do not get to see but I'm sure his eyes would be full...with memories.

Diversity in Unity

2007-08-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the day (rather night) when I should be dreaming and not penning down my thoughts. I would not blame you if you think that the title is a typo. How I wish it was!

We are taught in our childhood (so that we become 'good' citizens) that India is known for Unity in diversity...that all religions live together in harmony...big terms for a kid but the essence of unity in diversity seeps through. It's Unity that matters and not the diversity.

Alas! We grow up only to see that this world is not for purists. The practicality part of our learning goes for a toss. Where do I see the unity. I vote for a person to become the president because she is from my state. Nothing else matters. Not even her antecedents. I want my state to be represented in all the committees.

I listen to my leader who propagates that our state is for natives and not for the 'rest of Indians'. Wherever I go, be it for study,work anything, the first thing I look for is a person from my state. I cry for discrimination against my state, when a player is not selected. I want my neighbour to equally share the water but I do not want to spare a drop.....

The list goes on...Where the hell is unity? I see nothing but diversity. People have come to a stage where India is united (to the world) but Indians are not. It's high time we change what we teach the lower grade students...India is a country with diversity in unity.

Happy 60th Birthday India....

Life's a tide...

2007-08-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yeah...life's a tide....tide after tide. You get to the crest of one only to experience the abysmal depths of a trough, straight after. But, the best part is, there's always hope that you get to see the crests...if not in this tide atleast in the tide after.

Is it the same in everyone's life? As is with any experiment we perform, God's own experiment called life, also has anomalies. Some of us experience lows after lows after lows...only to lose hope. It's easy to ask them to look at things positively; can they? For that matter, can we do the same when we are in that position? I doubt...

It's a real boon to have a positive mind. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel how big the tunnel might be. You see a ray called hope in every aspect of life. But, it is something really really difficult to cultivate. If you ask me one thing I would want, to change my life, I would say "Positive frame of mind". One day, Inshallah, I would get that...Till that time I'm waiting for a ray of hope called crest.

The boss...absolutely rocks

2007-06-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

When we planned to go to "Shivaji", the non-tamilians were a little apprehensive. Will I be able to understand? Can I understand the subtle jokes? It was decided that we will have the Tamilians donning the roles of translators. Let me tell you, they were never required.

Shivaji has all the magic of Rajni. Be it his chewing gum bouncing or the 'boomerang gun' (must watch. I'm planning to watch it the second only for the fascination of this), it's Rajni in every frame. Ofcourse, Shankar's underlying social theme, Shriya's beauty and Vivek's comedy (he was awesome..in some of the frames he was bettering Rajni) add up to the tempo.

The movie cost the producers soooo much...but it's worth it. Rajni's fans could see him fair (Yup, he was fair in the movie in some frames. thanks to graphics) and also he looked younger. And the result...it's before us. If it's running to full houses in a Kerala town, imagine the frenzy in Tamilnadu.

"Shivaji" is not for those who look for logic in movies; who believe that movies must be as close to reality as possible. If you are of that type, stay away from Shivaji. Because Logic is Logic and Rajni is Rajni......chumma adiridille

First week @ K

2007-06-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

When I embarked on the journey to Kozhikode it was excitement galore. I was thinking of so many things...will I be able to make friends, will I be able to cope up with the pressure, how will the work pressure, how long will it take for me to settle...Come what may I would blog them.

The first day was for acquainting with the institute. It was raining the whole day and I was told by the locals that I need to get used to the rains. I did some shopping and made friends with some of my batch mates ( We were 80 then and it's not easy to know them all on the very first day :)

The preparatory courses started the next day. It was fun being a part of the 80-odd group and enjoying every minute of the presentations. It was school days revisited.

To be frank, I thought that the prep courses would be boring and just to make up time. I was wrong! Not only were they fun, they gave me a good chance of making friends, to get used to the environment here and have that little edge over the ones reaching late.

We went to the beach(Kappad beach, hope I spelt correct) on the next day. Nothing special about the beach but the group was having loads of fun. I was thrown, literally into the sea. We played football (not exactly, because we were just hitting it into the tides and catching it back). The return journey was much more fun as everyone was shaking their legs to the tunes ( would you believe it, everything was in Tamil or Malayalam)

Am still getting used to the rigour of the school...those night outs, assignements...I haven't had a brush with any till now. Can't say if I'm excited or nervous..probably a bit of both.

On top of the world

2007-05-04T00:06:00.001-07:00

Yes...that's what I felt like, when I saw it on the net. I was very confident that it would happen, but deep down, some where, there's a little doubt. All that's dispelled on the evening of 27th April 2007. The day when IIM-Kozhikode announced that I am being offered a seat in their premier institute. I tried my best to study in IITs...destiny took me else where. 2 years of work in Software Industry changed my mind that I'm cut out for an MBA and not an MTech. My reluctance to apply to non-IIMs made me look over confident. But, I was always confident. When there are so many seats in IIMs, isn't one among them reserved for me? Yes...it is. Now I'm off to Kerala...to God's own IIM. Given a chance, at this moment, I would love to have an IIM-A or an IIM-B call. But, I'm a strong believer of the adage 'whatever happens, happens for our good'. Let the bells ring... Kerala, here I come

I am...

2007-04-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

...an Indian

When I walk on the road, I curse the one who zooms past on his motor cycle, as if the road is his.

When I'm on my motor cycle, I curse the car in front refusing to share the road with me.

When I'm in the car, I refuse to give way to the cyclists...why should I, they never allow my share on the road to vroom past them.

When I watch our cricket team losing, I say they are spinelesss and demand an overhaul of the team.

I stay away from the politics saying it's all muddy and then criticize that there are not enough good politicians.

When it's time ot vote, I stay at home watching news channels criticizing that our country can never improve.

And last but not the least, I do all this and write the same....

.....because I'm an INDIAN

I watched the game live!!!

2006-07-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, I watched the game live. The finals of the 2006 Soccer world cup was etched into my memory. This is the fourth soccer world cup I'm blessed to watch and without a doubt the best finals. '94 was a damp squib, remembered more for Baggio's mistake. '98 was another damp squib known this time for Ronaldo's mystery illness. '02 was a one-sided match.

When the matches started a month ago, I was rooting for Argentina to win. After the first round, I was more than confident that this would be the world cup where I would be able to see my favorite team lifting the cup. But, as luck would have it, they got knocked out in the quarters. I almost immediately lost interest,but for one team....ITALY. Gone are the days when the Italian team is considered a boring team. They still maintain that traditional strong back four, but the forwards have evolved over time. This world cup saw the Italians playing swiftly and aesthetically.

This world cup is not about a single team. More often than not, the world cups are known to throw one better team which went on to win. But this world cup had more than one good team. France, Germany, Argentina...who would forget the grittiness of the Aussies or the stubborn Ivorians. True, this world cup recorded lesser number of goals, but entertainment wise I rate this the best since '90.

We had one disgraced match (20 cards featuring The Netherlands and Portugal) and some ugly moments (Zidane's head-butt, Rooney's send-off fiasco) but which world cup doesn't? After all, they are humans and emotions tend to fly around. For a whole month I forgot Cricket, Tennis , movies everything. I risked coming late to the office this month... afterall, not every year is the Soccer world cup year.

In this moment of joy, one thought still burns me. When can I proudly say that India is playing the soccer world cup? My friend teases me saying even my grand children will carry the same feeling. I pray not...

Women abuse

2006-05-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

How often do you find women abuse in and around you? Quite often, isn’t it? At home, at work; wherever you go you find it. Why only women?

Interestingly, this has its roots in the Vedas. Manu, greatly regarded as the architect of Hinduism, has spelt how women should be. This inherently worked in favor of all those who wanted to shackle women. Not only Hinduism, every religion has spelt out one or the other method of tying them up. The systems of Purdah, Sati, Child marriages only increased the male domination. All these helped the male chauvinists to keep women at home and behave as they like.

Another interesting development in this sequence is the advent of Devdasis. This system promoted prostitution in the society, again another form of abuse. Those were the times when women were treated as objects of entertainment and nothing more.

Then came the times, when some great women of substance revolutionized the society. A Rudramadevi, a Durgabai Deshmukh showed everyone what women are capable of. But, on the domestic front nothing changed; the same old treatment towards women and the same old abuse. But, there was a change in the way women started thinking. This was the time when they gave a serious thought of breaking the shackles. Reformists like Kandukuri helped to transform the way women are treated by this male-dominant society.

And there was a slow but sure change in the thinking of women. They began to realize their true potential. What drastically changed their thinking is the iron woman of India, Indira Gandhi. She epitomized a common Indian woman. She showed that women can do anything they want to. The modern day Kalpana Chawlas and Sushmita Sens only embody their spirit and strength. But, we still see a Jessica Lal. We still witness women undergoing trials and tribulations.
Why do we still witness women abuse? Women, more often than not enjoy the success of their counterparts as much as theirs. But, the same can’t be said of the darker sex. How many men can sincerely say that they enjoy their spouses’ success like theirs? You hardly find one. Having faced the trauma for so many a generations now, it’s not a surprise that women of these days prefer to be single. It’s time everyone recognizes the women power, else a day will come when it will be too late, too little

Weird dreams!!

2006-03-23T03:41:00.000-08:00

I usually get weird dreams. Something like - 'I'm in the office in the midst of work just to discover that I've not worn my shirt. I move around desks asking people for a spare shirt'.

This is just one of so many weird dreams I get. I forget things and that's why I maintain spares. I've a spare bok, pen and even a hand kerchief in my bag. After this dream, I was left wondering if I should maintain a dress too in the bag! Who knows, it could be useful to someone like me, if not for me.

Amma...avakaya..

2006-03-16T22:44:00.000-08:00

Staying under parental guidance was the best thing to have happened to me. I never cared of anything and was enjoying life. 22 years, that's till my graduation, was the exact time I lived like this. Always got whatever I wanted, be it food, clothes or anything. Maa ka haath ka khana was what I always liked. Once in a while I used to crib. "What's this amma? You did the same curry yesterday." "C'mon amma. Why don't you do something tasty?". Though I got the best of freedom, I always craved for more. I always thought that I could stay even away from home. Alas, this was not to be.

I had to move out looking for jobs. This was about 18 months back and I landed in Hyderabad. Took a small apartment with 4 more friends. What about food? Well...a 'good' mess in the localty was where we used to go. First week was awesome. "Wah..life ho toh aisi. Cool work, masti with friends and good food in the mess. What else do you need?". Well, things change rapidly like a One-day international.

The mess proved to be a damp squib. Repition of the menu and deterioration of quality made us look for a better alternative. But, is it a problem with the mess? No. It's the same as it was in the beginning. I liked it at first because I was looking for a change. Change from what I get at home. But, once I got used to it, it's the same old story. This is where I really miss maa ka haath ka khana. Put simply it's like this... Home made food is good more often than not. You will enjoy outside food only if it's once in a while.

May be, this is the way life taught me...You never admire the beauty of things when you possess them. You feel the greatness only in the absence.

Is it fair to our heroes?

2006-03-01T03:28:00.000-08:00

If you ask a 10 year kid in India, "Who is Sachin?", the answer you get will have all the details about him. If you ask him "Who's Shahrukh Khan?", you will a quick reply of all his bio-data. But, if you ask him, "Who's Satyendra Dubey?", you will have a blank face.

Leave alone the child, how many of you seriously know who Satyendra Dubey is. He was the same whistle blower who gave away his life fighting the corruption in Bihar projects. Satyendra was an IIT graduate. When every other IIT alumni was looking towards the greener pastures of the west, Satyendra decided to stay and serve his motherland.

Satyendra got himself a job with the roads authority in Bihar. That was the time when A.B.Vajpayee's dream project "Golden Quadrilateral" was undertaken. Satyendra was working in Bihar on the same project. After a couple of months he found out that the whole system is corrupted. The dealers and brokers are making merry at the cost of our own money.

Satyendra had enough of this and wrote to the Prime Minister office indicating everything and asking them to keep this in secret. Alas, that was not to be. No action was taken to prevent the brokers and on the other hand Satyendra's name was revealed. And one night Satyendra was brutally murdered.

Did he deserve this? He refused all the hefty offers from the west and tried to serve our country. He tried to bring the corruption in the most barbaric state of our country. What did he ask in return? Secrecy. And what did we give. Permanent rest to one of the most talented and dedicated engineers of our country.

The newspapers raised a hullabaloo for, you guessed it right, the first couple of weeks. A bollywood film maker went ahead and said that he'll bring Satyendra's life in a film. All the protests fizzed out in the second week. Neither the central government nor the Bihar government took confidence building measures. The result??? India lost more and more Satyendras.

If this is the case, can you persuade a highly educated Indian leaving for the west, to stay in India? What will you show him to make him work for the country? It's a pity that even now we are in dark about the murderers of Satyendra.

It happens only in INDIA

2006-02-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

We have a minister who shuffles his time between visiting Courts and presenting budgets...

We have a movie star who is remanded for hunting down endangered species but has the backing of the whole industry...

We still have criminals who are at large. We still have the Dawoods and the Rajans. We still have corrupt police men...This is to bring the facts about one such cruelty that was left unpunished...

I was surprised to read this -- "Jessica Lal murderers set free"

I, for a moment, thought to be dreaming. For me, this was an open and shut case. The police, for a change have proven their keenness to punish the culprits. Alas, that was not to be.

The rich and spoilt brat of a former minister, Siddharth Vashist alias Manu Sharma, shot a former model Jessica Lal for refusing him a drink in a party. There were high profile witnesses to this incident. One among them was the owner of the bar, Bina Ramani, a high profile socialite in Delhi.

The witnesses vouched to have seen the culprit asking Jessica for a drink. Some of them even recognized Manu. But most of them turned hostile in the court. Most of them, including the eye witness Shayaan Munshi, have told the court that they were either not at the scene or just left the party.

The Court had no choice, but to release the high profile culprit. Reasons being, not enough evidences and inability to establish the sequence of events. The question now is, is this the right verdict??

There will certainly be views and counter views. But, the thing everyone has to agree is that the Indian judiciary is still not giving enough due to circumstantial evidence. This is another case of the rich getting away with the law even with so much evidence stacked against him.

There may be stray incidents where the high profile culprits are punished. There's a Laloo or a Jaya here and there. But the fact is, no high profile culprit has ever completed his jail term. Be it Laloo or be it Jaya. They all have managed to get bails and rule the roost. This leaves me with a despairing thought --- "It happens only in INDIA..."