Mission Statements only for companies? Think again...

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....

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

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

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)

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)

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)

(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)

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

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!

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

"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?

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...

...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

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...

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

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

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

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...

...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!!!

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...