anacreon

Advising Indra Nooyi

2008-04-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

How do you describe meeting the CEO of the multi billion conglomerate, PEPSICO.?
Let me try.
Left for NY on 15th by Jet Airways..landed in Newark airport and found a limo waiting to take me to the hotel. The hotel was on Steamboat road and as the name suggests there was a stream next to the hotel with boats in it... the view was awesome...
Spent the night restlessly wondering what the morning would bring..will I be able to do a good job presenting the analysis to the PepsiCo board? I could manage only a few hours...
Had breakfast with the VP (HR) of PepsiCo India... he was going to accompany us to the HQ at Purchase.... maybe he felt I needed a little bit of protection ;)
Reached the office and found the view breathtaking... the office is actually a huge park which is open to public.. saw people with baskets of food, children and dogs having picnic on the park... The park also has great sculpture by artists with background varying from an industrial worker to an aeronautical engineer...the park is actually a national heritage site.. http://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/index.cfm?section_id=6&page_id=169
Got the system working in quick time..and did a dry run of the presentation when a huge, friendly guy walked in... he introduced himself as the President of the Asian region..
He is a lovely person..very alive and very friendly...
Then the VP (HR) of the PepsiCo Worldwide walked in.... another warm personality... and before I could take all this into my stride, Ms. Indra Nooyi stepped into the boardroom... She looked so imposing and had an aura of a rockstar... She asked for lunch and all of us sat down to have food in the boardroom..I could hardly gulp down a couple of spoon fulls...
Post lunch was when I presented the analysis of the case http://pepsicotastethesuccess.com/
It went of smoothly and a few questions were asked.. they were fielded with elan..
All the board members were very happy... there was a lot of clapping and patting of the backs... Then Ms. Nooyi asked us if we wanted to see her office...
so we accompanied her to her office... it was as imposing as her... there photos with Ms Nooyi and Mr Saad were clicked... Guess these are the photos that I will frame and hang forever on my walls....
We then had a tour of the PepsiCo office premises... bought some memorabilia.. was gifted a watch by Ms Nooyi.... and left for the second hotel... had around a day before I flew back to home...
The new hotel was right on Times Square...look out of the window and I could see the Square... a sight that I cannot forget...wanted to catch "The Lion King" (from where I take my nickname on PG) on Broadway, but all the tickets were sold out..went to the Empire State Building the next day...took a cruise that went all around the island... saw the Statue of Liberty, the Wall Street, the George Washington Bridge etc...
Took a NYC cab and went to JFK... and then flew back home.....

Was an unforgettable experience.... dunno what can be bigger than this... Hopefully I did MDI proud and left a small impression on the people there....

Am I cynical?

2007-08-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Alright, dont think that the title is complete. I should have added that if the answer is yes, then is being cynical bad? Not that it would have much difference. If you are already on page, then the chances are that you know me, and will either close your browser or go on to read this musing just to find out if my cynicism has reduced?
I worked in a large IT firm for around 3 years. The only months (days?) that I enjoyed were when my training was on during the initial 2 months. I have hated every second after that. To me my manager conveyed what the company stood for. He was never ready to listen, take a feedback or respect the other person. It was not a symbiotic relationship, but a one way discourse. No questions were entertained, individualism was not given credit and a different approach that was not a part of the "process" was looked down upon. Every morning it was impossible for me to motivate myself to go to office for the sole reason that I did not want to see my manger's face. But then we have been taught never to quit and I also had my aim towards further studies. So my manager was just a stop gap arrangement that I had to ignore till the time I escaped from his clutches.
Well MBA did happen and I found myself among the people selected in a reputed B School in India. Like the first few weeks into my job, I was full of enthusiasm and had a lot of dreams. These weeks were as good as they could have been. But then as time passes you begin to notice flaws. Familiarity breeds contempt they say. I am too new to this place to judge what character it is made of. So it would not be fair to pass a comment on the institution. But yes, the interactions as an individual and in groups with the seniors has given birth to those nightmares that I thought I had buried in the past. I see in them my manager present in varying degrees. Though they have not reached that stage, but their larger number surely makes the matter graver. There is total lack of empathy in meetings, juniors are not given a chance to speak their mind, individualism is curbed and feedbacks are stifled. Is this the kind of manager that I would like to become? The answer is an unequivocal NO. But then I said I was cynical, so if you did not like any of the things I have written, please ignore it as a folly due to my bitter nature, and ya please don't fine me...........

SPJIMR Round 2 - GI Experience

2007-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

TIME : 2:45 PM

Date : 23/03

Place : SPJIMR, Mumbai

Not much to say about the second round... Mosta the people had the same profiles, equivalent performances in the GIs...and same CAT percentiles...I was asked questions on my work ex, general awareness and some leadership examples from my life... In the first round atleast one could make out that some people would not making it to the next stage.. but this second round did not have any thing that differentiated people, esp, with everyone having more or less the same background... I am clueless how the candidates are going to be shortlisted/rejected.... And that's a scary thought!The good thing was that I met a school friend of mine at SPJ..Was quite pleased to know that he has bagged one of the best offers at SPJ this year.

NITIE Mumbai - GD/PI Experience

2007-03-20T03:20:00.000-07:00

TIME: 0800 hrs onwards.

Date: 15/03

Place: Nitie, Mumbai

The GD/PI process got over before I realized! Was a fun stay at Nitie, met so many pagals there... Would have loved it if the Profs had asked me a few more questions though and had I answered some of them....

Group Discussion: Group of 10, topic "Management is an Art or Science"...Was an okayish GD, spoke lesser compared to my usual standards...

I was talking to a Nitie student outside panel 2 when a Prof walked in....

Prof: So are we running late?

Student: Yes Sir, we have around 20-25 candidates left...

Prof: Should we speed it up? Aren't the candidates enjoying it?

Moi: Sir, if 5 Profs grill 1 candidate, how will he enjoy it?

Prof: Hmmm, why aren't they being asked tech stuff?

Moi: No, Sir, general discussion mostly....

Prof: So should we make it tech?

Moi: Yes, Sir, why not...but after me.....

I was just having a light banter with him, had got bored to death waiting for the interview to happen... After this is was called to Panel 3,and while I was waiting outside, I see the same Prof. walking in... When he saw me he gave a BIG grin.... I was like oh, ho!!!! tu to gaya beta!!!

Personal Interview: 5 Profs, and poor old moi...

Prof: What's a PIN Diode?

Moi: Sir, I know what a diode is, can't recall PIN diode...

Prof: What's the application of a Zener Diode?

Moi: Duh!!

Prof: Can a Geosynchronous satellite be used for interactive purposes? What's the time taken for a signal to come back? What height is it at?

Moi: It is used for education, long distance communication...so yes, it can be used for interactive purposes... time taken should be very less, and approximately at 6400 Km....

Prof: (With a look of utter hopelessness and pity) It cant be used for interactive purposes, it takes 0.5s and it is at 20000 Km...

Prof: Ok, thank you...

Moi: Thank You sir...

Time spent in Mumbai : 2 days...

Time spent in PI : 3 mins....

Questions answered : very close to zero....

MDI Gurgaon- GD/PI Experience

2007-03-13T03:20:00.000-07:00

Time : 1400 hrs
Date : 12/03
Place : IIM-B

I reached quite early around 12:30, walked around the IIMB campus and had a coffee at Coffee Day. Even the mundane coffee tasted special in the beautiful campus. I was complaining to God why B didn't give me a call, even though I met all their "criteria"... Anyway, this is about MDI..

Group Discussion: We were a group of 7 with one girl included. We were given a graph that compared the %age population in 15-60 years age group among the G6 and the BRIC nations. It was a forecast for the next 50 years. (Methinks it was taken from the Puroshottam female's BRIC report! )
The guy who started took the words out of my mouth. The graph was in black and white, and hence it was difficult to make out which was for which nation. I wanted to begin by getting this sorted, but was beaten to it by another guy. A bad start! Sign of things to come? Anyway, I hardly write anything on the sheet before starting of with the GD, and this has been quite helpful so far. Even today I made decent contributions by identifying the age group as the working age group, spoke about baby boomers in the US, the need to develop infrastructure such as medical tourism, and alternate sources of energy eg Suzlon,about China's population falling because of the 1 child norm etc. It was a decent GD, the lady professor even said good at the end (I hope she was not being sarcastic! ). I would rate mah-self 2-3 in the group.

Personal Interview: I was called in 5th, it was according to the seating order in the GD.
Male Professor : ML, Female Professor : FL, and moi.

MP : Tell us something about yourself.
Moi : told

FL : Why do you want to do an MBA?
Moi : told, think she was satisfied at the end.

FL : Having seen Tata Steel at close quarters who do you think has a bigger contribution, the shop floor workers or the managers?
Moi : Well, it would be unfair to say who has a bigger contribution as each is important in his scope of work.

ML : Since you have a telecom background, what do you see as India's future in telecom?
Moi : It is very optimistic. Gave example of Vodafone buying out Hutch, rate of growth of Indian market, lowest costs, yet very less penetration, thus larger opportunities. Also spoke about the article in the newspaper that spoke about talks between Vodafone and Essar for infrastructure sharing.

FL : What are your views on the budget?
Moi : non-contentious, politically affected, and a non-event in the growing, globalized world. Spoke about why cement excise wont bring down inflation. Goo things about the budget education, health care and women centric, also attempt to increase water table and scholarships. Things lacking in budget, spoke about the oil exploration being taxed, cement excise, no clear cut policy definitions on how the money will be raised, no public private partnership.

FL : What are your views on President delaying hanging of Mohammed Afzal?
Moi : Spoke about it sending down wrong signals to the nation, loss of patriotism and pride. He had committed a grave crime by attacking the Parliament.

FL : But the politicians are corrupt anyway, so what difference does it make?
Moi : Said that even then, they are our democratically elected leaders, also the people killed were ordinary policemen. Spoke about families returning medals.

FL : What do you say about President pardoning Naxalites in North East?
Moi : Said they also commit crime, but we need to address why it is happening and identifying the root cause.

FL : What do you say about Pakistan's attempts on curbing terrorism?
Moi : Spoke about Pak handing over Al-Qaeda but protecting the Taliban and the strategic location of Pakistan.

ML : Then Bush did the right thing attacking Iraq?
Moi : No, it was done unilaterally, without UN backing. Even his own people do not support it now.

FL : But at that time they did.
Moi : It was because of wrong information given to them, current situation is no different from a Mutually Assured Destruction of the nuclear days. Loss of innocent lives on both sides.

FL : So what does India stand to gain/lose with worsening US-Pak relations?
Moi: Spoke about the newspaper article that said about US thinking of severing ties with Pak. Advantage for India- US-Indo joint effort to tackle terrorism(missed about India getting funds from US). Disadvantage: We need to ensure that we don't lose our sovereignty and our foreign policy is not dictated by US.

FL : Which other calls?
Moi : IIM Indore

ML : So what will you join?
Moi : MDI, spoke about AMBA accreditation and 85 full time faculty, also deep bonds between students and the profs. (Forgot to mention location and student exchange).

FL : Students coming to IIMs and MDI are brilliant anyway, so what will you learn from the faculty?
Moi : Spoke about parents and teachers being the greatest influence and teachers being considered equivalent to God in India. Also spoke about not just academics, but soft skills, networking, communication and organizational behaviour also being taught.

These are more or less the questions that I was asked. There might be some I have missed. But was immensely satisfied with my performance, was very comfortable answering questions... made the profs acknowledge and smile at times... MDI faculty is not only
good on paper, I could feel the warmth just sitting across the table. I would count mah-self the unluckiest on earth if I dont get a final call from MDI....
The wait begins................

XIMB - GD/PI Experience

2007-03-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

TIME : 0900 hrs
Date: 12/03
Place: Bangalore

GD: Advertising is a waste of money.
We had a decent discussion in a group of 9.( I was the extra one, had rescheduled the interview to 0900 hrs from 1100hrs)Thought we diverted a little from the topic, but it was not bad overall.

PI: Last one to be called in the panel.
Prof: Tell me something about yourself.
Moi: answered
Prof: So you are from Loyola School, Jamshedpur?
Moi: yup
Prof: You must have seen me there?
Moi: I am sorry sir, didnt get a chance to meet you.(didnt want to say yes, after not knowing him. Anyway he was not in the school staff or admin)
Prof: Ok, so who were the Principal and Vice-Principal?
Moi: told
Prof: Compare their leadership qualities?
Moi: Principal - more open and approachable. Vice-Principal- Outwardly very strict ( we were terrified of this guy) and result oriented.
Prof: So which one do you think is better?
Moi: Open and approachable but has to result oriented at the same time. (We had a small discussion on this.)
Prof: So have you ever led a team?
Moi: Told about leading a team at the place of work and captaining moi house in school.
Prof: Have you heard of TAS?
Moi: (Are you kidding me?, just applied for TAS after giving GMAT) so gave gyan.
Prof: What's the difference between a group and a team?
Moi: gave some more gyan.(We had a small discussion on this.)

(Meanwhile 2 profs got up and left, allegedly to attend the telephone calls.)

Prof: So what's a broad band?
Moi: Someting to do with larger bandwidth. Basically divided into narrow and broad bands.
Prof: So what's the BW at which this division occurs?
Moi: I am not sure Sir.
Prof: Ok, thank you.
Moi: thank you Sir.

IIM Indore - GD/PI Experience

2007-03-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

The long wait for an IIM interview finally ended today.
Place : PESIT
TIME : 09:00 AM

Group Discussion: Was a very long case with lots of characters. Was quite confusing to remember who was who?
It was a case about a bank officer who is on his way to replenish an ATM along with a couple of security guards, two technicians and an off duty bank officer. He has been asked to replenish one of the ATMs by the bank manager as a customer is waiting there. They get waylaid by a group of robbers and the off duty bank officer is badly hurt. So the bank officer takes this guy to the hospital and doesnt replenish the ATM.
Meanwhile the customer needs cash himself as some one from his family too is in the hospital,and the hospital management has rules that require cash payment to be made before treatment. Since the hospital manager knows the customer he makes an exception to the rule.
The customer also is then admitted to the hospital for exhaustion. The hospital manager is suspended.
What should the hospital manager do?
What should the bank officer do?

My contribution:
Was the third person to speak. Made points about problems arising because of lack of clear cut policy for such exceptional cases in the hospital as well as the bank. Human angle involved in the situation.
Also hospital needs to change it's mechanism which considers only cash and not debit,credit cards, insurance etc. Both these people should be used as a feedback, maybe more number of security guards are needed.
Also that the hospital manager has to say that he was trying to protect the image of the hospital. What if the patient had died?
Thought it was a decent contribution from my side. But just a nagging feeling that I have got. Did the robbers steal the money? Because I said that the bank officer was responsible enough not to let anyone unauthorised replenish the money.

Personal Interview: Was the third person to be called.
Professor 1,P1. Professor 2,P2. and moi.

P1: So how does it feel to be back in college?
Moi: (was expecting this)Sir, very nostalgic. Spoke about all the places in college and meeting a lecturer in the morning. About how happy she was to know why I was there. Also about the changes in college especially the PACE(Partnersip for Advanced Collaboration in Education).
There were huge boards about PACE in college.

P1: So why dont you do MBA from PESIT?
Moi: Sir, MBA is in the rudimentary stage in PESIT. Also the quality of the students might not match the premier B-schools.

P1: What do you know about IIMI?
Moi: Spoke about it being established in 1996, different committees like equiti,infiniti, and also about ISC-Symposium.

P1: Do you know anyone in IIMI?
Moi: Yes sir, two from my school. Gave the names, and also my IIMI mentor.

P1: What kind of a job profile are you looking at post MBA?
Moi: Consulting, with focus on cross domain profile. Spoke about TAS, TSMG, McK and KPMG.

P1: But these kind of companies do not come to IIMI.
Moi: Not sure about McK, but others including Delloite, SAP and IBM consulting do come.

P1: So what all do you read?
Moi: I read whatever I can lay my hands on -fiction, non-fiction, tech, magazines, newspapers.

P1: What's the distribution between fiction and non-fiction?
Moi: Was into fiction a lot when I was in school and beginning years of college. Have started picking up books like... (was cut off here by P2).. wanted to talk about Blink and Freaknomics, which I had recently read.

P2: So what's your general day like?
Moi: gave the normal IT guy schedule answer.

P1: What was TCS' turnover last year?

Moi: Around 3 bn, moreover TCS Bangalore was 140 mn in Q3.

P2: What was TCS' share price?

Moi: Yesterday's closing was 1199. It has taken a hit along with the others, gave quotes for Tata Steel and Tata Motors.

P2: What do you attribute this to?

Moi: Shanghai Sneeze, all the world markets took a hit. Another reason could be FII pulling out their investements due to the budget. We are trying to control inflation and not supporting infrastructure development.

P2: Let's hear something about your work
Moi: Explained the business logic, didnt want to be grilled on tech much, so told about a technology called Siteminder that is used in our project.

P2: Do you write any programs?
Moi: Sir, only a little bit of UNIX and LINUX scripting.

P2: What's LINUX?
Moi: Told about it being a competitor to UNIX. Didnt have good performance to start off with. But with collaboration with RedHat, it has emerged a strong competitor.

(Things started going wrong from this point.)

P2: Is UNIX a level 2/3/4 language?

Moi: Sir, I have heard only of high and low level language. And UNIX is a high level language.

P2: What's an Os?

Moi: It's the interface between the user and the computer. It manages the computer software and hardware resources.
P2: So are UNIX and LINUX Operating Systems/Programming languages?
Moi: OS

P2: Are you sure?
Moi: hmmmm, no Sir, they are PL!!! (MISTAKE!!)

P2: You know the policemen?
Moi: Yes Sir.(Didnt like the sound of this question.)

P2: Why do they use Walky-talkys and not cellphones especially with such low costs that they offer?
MOi: !!! Sir they have a pre-determined frequency that is not available to public. Offers more security. Told about it being possible to track cell calls and sms easily.

P2: So how do they receive the Walky-talky message?
Moi: they have a radio reciever at the other end.

P2: Are you sure about radio receiver?
Moi: Yes sir.

P2: So why cant we have a receiver at the other end and tune into their frequency?
Moi: zapped. Not sure sir.

P2: So where are all your clients servers located?
Moi: Sir, in Phoenix and disaster recovery servers in Minneapolis.

P2: What are the advantages and disadvantages of servers at one place?
Moi: Sir, it offers a central location and thus easier maintenance, for hardware replacement and skilled job it needs to be in one location?

P2: Hardware replacement is skilled?
Moi: Yes sir, we dont do it here. A team from IBM takes care of this in US.

P2: ok and disadvantage?
Moi: In case of a natural calamity, entire infrastructure might fail.

P2: Only one advantage and disadvantage? You have been working for 2 1/2 years now, is this all you know?
Moi: Sir, this is all I am able to think of.

P2: So what is a router?
Moi: It's a specialised computer which ensures that requests are sent over the path of least congestion.

P2: What's a switch? We are not talking about the electric switch, hahaha!!!
Moi: Smile.Sir, it's also a networking component. Dont really recall what it does.

P2: You had Networks as your subject?
Moi: Yes sir.

P1: Have you heard of the Cold War?
Moi: It was about the war between the USA and Russia that arose because of Nuclear buildup.
P1: So when the US attacked Russia, did they do it by air/sea?
Moi: ??? Sir, it might have been by both. ( US did not attack Russia at all!!)
P2: So what is the Hot War?
Moi: I am not sure if there is something called a hot war, the World War II might be called a hot war.

P1: Ok where is xxx located?
Moi: Clueless.Never heard of this, was not even sure he was talking in English!!

P1: Where is yyy located?
Moi: Never heard of this too, again sounded non-english. Maybe it was because of the construction going on behind.

P1: Where is Lotus Temple located?
Moi: Not able to recall. (It's in Delhi)

P1: How about Taj Mahal?
Moi: Agra. (yaar what was he thinking of me?)

P1: Red Fort?
Moi: Delhi.

P1: ok, one last question... (I am not able to recall it, just wanted this to end before I ruined
a interview that I had begun well)

Strengths/Knowns:
Good communication and clarity, confidence and content in GD, also had a smile most of the times in the interview, workex. Overall it was a decent show.
Weakness/unknowns:
CAT percentile, low compared to others. Only one IIM call, so everything to lose. Not aware of other's performances and parameters looked at for selection.

SPJIMR - Interview Experience

2007-02-26T03:29:00.000-08:00

The reporting time for me was 0800 hrs.. since the mail had asked people to report to 1 hr earlier, so I landed up at the center around 0645 hrs only to find that other than me there was only one guy at the center... So I went ahead and opened the gates and parked moi bike. I asked the watchman if he knew where the interviews were going to be held. He seemed as clueless as me. Slowly other people started pouring in around 0700 hrs..But still no sign of any SPJ representatives. Around 0730 hrs SPJ's students arrived and began organizing the process. We were taken to a classroom and document verification began. Imagine my state when candidates not only for the 0800 hrs slot but also those for the 0900 hrs slot were called, and I was not!When I asked them about it, they told me that my name was not there in their list. Now to cut a long story short, I found that they were looking at a local copy and not the list that is on the SPJ website. So I asked them to verify it, showed them the mail which had information about the interview date and time and asked them to add a row for me in the excel sheet they had in their laptops. After this I was told that I would be accommodated in the 2-3 batch but soon after this I was rushed into the first batch, panel 6. When I was on the way moi panel was changed to 3. Anyway, finally I was in the interview room. But the room left a lot to be desired. It was a make shift lab with 10 chairs thrown in to give a semblance of a interview room.... Anyway no point in getting into that. Here is how the interview went:

Panel : Male Prof(MP), Female Prof(FP), Female Observer(FO), SPStudent(SS)

Candidate 1 : Mindtree, 6 months workex, Finance.

C2 : Moi, TCS, 31 months workex, Informaton Management.

C3 : Infy, 18 months, not sure.

C4 : final year Engg student from Kerela, Marketing.

C5 : TCS, 18 months, Information Management.

C6 : L&T(I think), Operations & Manufacturing.

(only writing about the questions that were put to me)
Question to each candidate: Give a brief introduction about yourself.

SS: So Mufasa, you have written that you compromised your values. Can you describe the situation to us.

Moi: told that as per my understanding we were to write about an instance when we took a stand against our value system. Forgot about the line in the form that specifically said "what values were violated". Anyway it was a very personal situation, butI had to talk about it in front of everyone.

MP: I see that 2 of you are in TCS. Why dont both of you have a conversation about things common between TCS and SPJ?

Spoke about values, both looking beyond India, balance in life they offer etc.

MP: Mufasa, describe your job responsibilities.

Moi: Started talking about it and made my first mistake. I had written that I am leading a team of 22 people in the SOP. While discussing I informed that the team size was 22 including my Project Manager and me. The MP did not like this and said I should have written 20 and not 22. He became slightly angry and wrote something on his sheet. I think he wrote that I was a liar!!!

MP: What are the technologies and business logic used in your project?

Moi: explained.

MP: What is Liberty Protocol?

Moi: I have heard of it but not able to recall.

MP: You have only 31 months of workex., how is it that you are leading such a big team?

Moi: Sir, I got this opportunity only after I had proved myself. I forgot to give any examples though there are numerous instances. Mistake 2: There were some seniors but they either left for onsite or took up other jobs. I could not believeI had said this. It sounded like I got the chance only because no one else was there.But that is not the case. I might have killed myself than saying something so stupid. Thought whatever chances I had would have disappeared by now. Wanted to take back my words, but that of course was not possible.

FO: to everyone, which was the last movie you saw?

That's all I recall, though I am sure there were more questions, but all the disasters from my end have been mentioned.

It really sounds bad, right? But there were instances when I spoke really well, with great substance. I had good composure and body language. Even after the screw-ups, I felt I was the best in the panel. But my views dont matter. I dont know what to expect out of it. Looks like it's tata-byebye to SPJ second round.

Waiting for a miracle to happen.

DDLJ contd.......

2006-09-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

As is often the case, you don't realize what you have, until you lose it. This is what happened to both of them. Till only a day back, morning smiles, afternoon lunches and evening walks were part of their lives. But now, it was again a new world, unknown and terrifying. A world that was not full of her smiles and his antics. And to them it was not really what they wanted. So they decided to give it try. They began when she messaged him and told him what he always knew to be true. Yet, he wanted to hear it from her. It was important for him as it would decide where they would go with this relation.
After this they began to meet whenever they could. It felt like a dream each time they met. If they were happy when they were friends, then this was bliss. They began to understand each other better now. Now he knew why she had always built a fortress around her. Not because she afraid of getting hurt, but for the only reason that she didn't want him to suffer. He was someone she had dreamt of- funny, sensitive and warm at the same time. If you say that they were meant for each other, well you wouldn't be wrong. So their love began to blossom. There never were any demands or anxiety from either of them. Though the distance between them was great, so was the faith on which this was founded. Days turned to weeks and weeks to months, and then that happened what had always been at the back of their minds.
She was a Hindu, and he a Muslim. It's not that these two communities were very friendly in some other time, but recent events had widened the rift between these two religions even more. So when their families came to know about this, they result was as expected. There was a firm refusal to accept the relation. They were too divided to overlook the incongruity of religion in today's world. What made it worse was the fact that the families didn't consider it wrong personally. It was a knee-jerk reaction under the societal pressure. What would people say? A Hindu marrying a Muslim? How can water and oil ever mix? It gave them shudders even to think of such a possibility. So the verdict was given. They were to forget each other as if nothing ever happened. She would soon get married to a suitable guy within her religion. He was expected to go on, do his bit, albeit without her.
They obeyed the command. They tried to live without each other. The number of mails and phone calls were drastically reduced. They, who knew what the other was doing every second, were now content with just a mail in a day. But it is not easy to forget something that was so pure. Giving up on this would mean a lifetime of doubts and reminiscences. Of course, they would get married at some time in their lives. But forever, they would wonder of things that could have been. Moreover, they found each day tougher than the previous. So finally they decided to risk it all.
They got together, and made a plan. A plan that originated with a feeling of attaining whatever the wished for, or losing it all, forever.
She went to meet his parents and he went to see her folks. This was a very courageous move. And it did not go unnoticed by the parents. It made the parents realize that this was not something that would end with time. Force might make them follow their orders. But both the children would be left a yearning throughout their lives. Asking them to give up something that was so precious to them, would not be right. Nothing could justify this wrong if it was done- no religion, no society, no relatives. The had always understood that the children's happiness was more important than anything else. But after this they accepted it.
You can say that both of them were lucky to have parents like that. And I would agree with you. Without such parents it would not have been possible.
So finally things worked out for him and her. It's not that everyone was happy with this. But those who mattered were, and they didn't care about the others.
It had always flet like they were living a dream, fearful that the dream might end any moment. But after this it became a unending dream. And as they say,
They lived happily ever after.........................

Dilwale Dhulania Le Jayenge

2006-09-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Time didn't stop, bells didn't ring, leaves didn't flutter in the wind. In fact, none of those things that you generally associate with love happened when they met. But there was definitely a short pause when they saw each other for the first time. Don't ask me why, I really don't know the reason.
They had landed up in a small city in Southern India for a two month professional training.The kind that large Indian companies have before putting people into live projects.
She didn't like him when she saw him for the first time. To strangers he appeared to be a guy too full of himself, aloof and devil-may-care types.He noticed her while cursing the dismal Indian cricket team(ya, there was a match on that time,and as usual our "boys" were performing badly). Outwardly she looked bold, but he could sense that she was out home for the first time. She was scared to be in a new place and didn't want the world to know. But he knew, and didn't give it a second thought. He was like that. But she had a kind of sweetness about her, and this had touched him in a way even he didn't know then.
So came the night, and he asked her out for dinner. Can you believe it? The first time he talks to her, he asks her out? He was banking too much on his luck, he would get more than he had bargained for! That's what you thought would have happened. But she agreed. And they had a very pleasant time together. They laughed, told each other about their families, colleges, and lives. Never for a moment did it feel that they were talking to each other for the first time. They had a kind of easiness that develops only between old friends. They met every day from then on. He used to wait for her to come back, and have dinner with him.He never asked her out for dinner after the first day, nor did she expect him to. It was a tacit understanding. One would wait until the other arrived, and then they would have dinner together.
Slowly the friendship grew. He was not such a bad guy after all. And she was someone any guy would be proud to be with. They were seen in each other's company all the time. People started wondering and talking about them. But they seems oblivious to all of it. They were happy just being together. It seemed like precious moments stolen from the wings of time. They partied, went for walks, pulled each other's legs, laughed, and genuinely thought they had never been happier before.
But as is usually the case before it could blossom into something more, the training period was over. Both of them were moving to different cities. There was nothing concrete to fall upon. They liked each other, but then was that enough? They were just starting off with their professional careers, the stage was of uncertainty and doubt. Things were better off without getting into complications of the heart. Getting into this would mean a long distance relationship. They would not be seeing each other for months. At this moment they did not even know if they would be seeing each other again.
With these questions in mind, they bade each other good bye. And the last train left taking her with it. He was left alone on the platform, and walked back to the hostel. On the way he passed all the places they had been together- the ice-cream parlor, the junk food joint, the classroom, the bank. But nothing looked the same. Would life be the same after she had left? Was there still any hope? Did they do the right thing by not saying anything and taking the easy way out?
Meanwhile she was thinking along the same lines in the train en route to Mumbai.............................

INTERVAL

Imagine - the Beatles

2006-07-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

- Give it a thought. No more.

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

- "Imagine" by the Beatles.

The spirit of Mumbai

2006-07-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

A lot has been said about the never say die attitude of the people of Mumbai, their ability to bounce back after disasters, their resilience. Me not a Mumbaikar. Infact, I have been to the city only a couple of times. But even on those short trips I could feel the energy that drives the citizens. I have held them high, and after this calamity they have just gone a few steps higher.
But what I question is the apathy shown by the Government. Such acts of brutality should have evoked more than just a gentle reprimand to our neighbour. The response has not been more than a gentle spanking that a baby gets. You want the baby to know that his action was improper, but at the same time you don't want to hurt him. I don't know who would have been hurt, if a fitting reply was given. Not us, because we are bleeding right from J&K to Kanyakumari. It's very well to call Indians peace loving in general (and Mumbaikars resilient in particular). But to take advantage of that, and keep testing their patience is to ask a lot. We have been asked to maintain calm even in the face of 13 attacks (7 in Mumbai and 5 in Srinagar) on the same day, so that the "Peace Process" doesn't get derailed. But I ask why should we be quiet and peaceful? What has the peace process achieved so far other than a few bus journeys and India-Pakistan cricket matches becoming benign. The Kashmir problem remains the only and central issue. Our Government chooses to put that in the back burner and works on the so called Confidence Building Measures. All these are just means to evade the main issue, buy some time from the people, fill the already over-flowing closets.
You want to call me naive, so be it. But for a moment imagine if the same had happened to the G-8 countries. Unimaginable,right?
Just because we are not in the group of developed nations, does it mean that our lives are less valuable? We are extending an olive branch to a rouge nation, only because Big Brother is watching? While this hog-wash of friendship is on, our people continue to bleed.
Daily deaths in the J&K valley no longer make the headlines on the newspapers' front pages. Those are reserved only for other states. Does it mean that we are a nation of peace loving, gentle citizens, following the path shown by the Mahatama, or does it mean that we have got our directions wrong, now so weak that we can't even defend ourselves from within?
How many more deaths will it take for us to reply in a manner it should be done?

For those who perished in the Mumbai bomb blasts.

2006-07-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

Please visit the following link and light a candle for those who never returned home on 11/7.
Light A Candle

My fallen country!

2006-07-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

Consider this- out of about 2 lakh only around 1200 get into the exclusive IIMs
- AIIMS has less than 50 seats for the UG course,even lesser for the PG course
- a couple of 1000s make into the prestigious IITs
- even 95% marks don't ensure an admit into SRCC and St.Stephens select courses
- NLSUI has less than 100 seats

- An average politician does not have a basic school degree, forget about the above mentioned advanced qualifications, and holds all of us hostage.

I have long held this belief of owing to my country. After all I was born here, I have some allegiance to my land. But of late I have been forced to give a long hard thought to my convictions. What constitutes a counrty? Is it the people or the politicians? I used to think the former was the right answer but recent events have shown how foolish I was. I grew up like most do in this country- in a middle class family, sent to one of the better schools, competing with thousands to get into a good college, moving onto a professional environment in order to take care of my family, still dreaming and striving to do something better. I was not born with the proverbial silver spoon but life has not been difficult. I am in every way one amongst the lakhs of ordinary Indian youth. I always had the notion that if I work hard, I could make it big. There was no dearth of opportunities now with the economy opening up. All that was needed was dedication and a little bit of luck. And I thanked my country for that. I thought it was made up of people like me, who toil, and expect to have a better future.
Then happened Mandal2 , students beaten and dragged, the premier medical school engulfed in the grime of politics, peaceful demonstrations marred by lathicharges, protests in colleges not given media coverage because of fear of political backlash, proposals of job quota in private institutions, AIIMS director getting sacked......... I am talking about this because it affects me, call me selfish if you want. I never sought any advantage, so why should I agree when others are given such privileges? Was it unfair to dream?
Is my patriotism misplaced, because as far as I can see, the country isn't made up of people like you and me, but by our politicians?
A country of the politicians, by the politicians, for the politicians?

Taking the lift.

2006-06-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or do most of the people feel uncomfortable while they go up and down in a lift?
Many of us spend a few minutes of the day in a lift(or elevator if you should prefer),so do I. Whether it's just a floor or more we prefer taking a lift than dragging our heavy bodies over the stairs.Every time I take this mode I can't help but feel great unease. There I am,totally at the mercy of a metallic box,closed from all sides,moving on a chord,loaded with people twice it's capacity.And it's not just the claustrophobic feeling that makes me uneasy.Another factor is the thought that for a few moments I am living the same life as those with me in the lift.And who knows what sin each one has committed,and whose time has come.So I might have to pay for someone else's indiscretion. What adds to the uncomfort is getting caught when stealing a furtive glance of the only pretty girl in the cabin. Why does it always have to be me who is left red-faced when Adam's every son is doing the same. Moreover, there are those who can't pass a single second without admiring themselves in the mirror or those with "Oh!The lovely locks" of Rapunzel/John Abraham(depending upon the gender).They never fail combing or just carelessly giving a touch to their hair. Some ladies even take the opportunity to add that much (not)needed mascara or gloss their already shining lips. For others, these few minutes present them with the chance to get updated with the happenings of the world. So we have the financially inclined people digging their noses into the Economics Times.These people become aware of the surroundings only when their floor is reached.Others add music to their lives by continuously tapping their feet to those melodious notes from their latest i-Pods.And for the technologically,financially,morally deprived souls like me,the only thing we look forward to is sharing a few moments with a pretty face(outside the lift we can't even dream of coming so close to an angel).And on those days(which is mostly the case)when we don't even have somebody to glance at,we fidget,nervously look around and avoid everyone's gaze.We try to look cool and carefree,but our casual demeanor is given off when we glance at number of each passing floor.In other circumstances we know that 8 will come only after 7,but when in a lift(or elevator if you should prefer)we start counting and adding from 1.
And when we reach our floor,in a hurry to escape,we stumble and push and shove and generally make a bigger fool of ourselves. And you thought taking the lift was easy?

Being Aamir

2006-06-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

In a time when Bollywood is flooded with mindless caper,puppy romances,and blatant plagiarism ,there is one actor who has constantly sought to do something different each time he has adorned the movie screen. He goes by the name Aamir Khan. Most of his movies - QSQT,Baazi,Sarfarosh,DCH,Lagaan,and RDB,just to name a few - have been a literal treat to watch.He has constantly evolved as an actor,quite unlike some of the others, who though in their 40s, continue to dance around the trees with actresses half their ages. But it's not Aamir the actor,who this post is about.It is about Aamir the activist.
His a la RDB demonstration in front of the India gate had far reaching ramifications.He has acknowledged that he did not know that this demonstration would have such reactions.His plea for proper rehabilitation for those uprooted from their lands because of the construction of Sarovar dam on Narmada was construed as a war cry against the people of Gujarat. Aamir was the monster out to deprive the Gujaratis off their solution to water shortage . His words were completely mutilated. All he had asked for was proper compensation for those affected by the dam but he was labeled an enemy of the Gujarat state. He was called a non-conformist,a iconoclast,even his motive was questioned because of his religion. Somehow in the twisted minds of our politicians and news channels,Gujarat and Muslims are terminally linked. His latest movie "Fanna" was banned in Gujarat,the saffron party demanded an unconditional apology from him.Thankfully, Aamir stood his ground and did not render the apology. He knew he was against a very powerful adversary,yet he continued to stick to his beliefs.
This was the first instance when someone from the tinsel town had espoused a social cause. Our actors have great following, so much media reach that they can be very effective in making social changes or atleast making the government accountable. But most of them are sadly content with making their meager millions. And it's not just the actors. Unless the influential people become involved,we will continue to languish where we are. There are only two ways as Aamir said in RDB,"Either we try to get into the system and change it from within,or we let things the way they are and stop complaining".

"Beauty" by Anacreon

2006-05-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

BEAUTY
by: Anacreon (c.572-488 BC)

Horns to bulls wise Nature lends;
Horses she with hoofs defends;
Hares with nimble feet relieves;
Dreadful teeth to lions gives;
Fishes learn through streams to slide;
Birds through yielding air to glide;
Men with courage she supplies;
But to women these denies.
What then gives she?
Beauty, this Both their arms and armor is:
She, that can this weapon use, Fire and sword with ease subdues.

TRANSLATED BY THOMAS STANLEY, 1651

Black Tuesday

2006-05-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

May 23,2006:
- The day democracy was sacrificed for votebank politics.
- The day the Government fell on deaf years and did not care about the
doctors,lawyers, engineers who are the ones responsible for putting India
on the world map.
- The day the proposal of 27% reservation for OBCs was passed.
- The day when I thought what makes a country,general people
(pun fully intended) or politicians?
- The day my patriotism wavered for the first time.
- The day when many like me would have questioned their importance in
the country.
- The day when reverse discrimination reared it's ugly head.

Fußball

2006-05-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

In a cricket crazy country like India,football comes like a whiff of fresh air on a hot summer afternoon. In India,we have all other sports losing out to cricket.Whether it's the glamour associated with the game,or the moolah that the national players rake in, that makes this game a religion in India,I do not know.But more on football.
I am far away from the crazy football fans in the European nations,even distant from the few parts like Goa and Bengal where there is a sizeable following of football,but the EPL and UEFA championships have made me sit up(literally) at nights and follow The Game.Barcelona's heroics,Theirry Henry's disappointment with the Arsenal fans,Rooney's injury scare for England,Lionel Messi's rise as the player to watch out,veteran icons like Zidane and Paolo Maldini,Spain the biggest under-achievers in world football,Cryuff being the epitome of "total football" begun by Holland(my favourites),Brazil with their charisma,the list just goes on............
What makes football so special is that it is truly a global sport(unlike cricket which is played only among the common wealth nations).Also the beauty lies in it being a pristine sport.I have never like sports like golf.To me a sport is one that involves physical exertion,where you can feel the heat,see the sweat,experience first hand joy or pain.Also we have characters in football.Cricket and tennis are constantly being bobbed down by the issue that takes away the sport from the game-unrelenting discipline.So we don't have many John McEnroes in tennis,and Saurav Gangulys face the brunt for showing passion on the cricket field.
Hope football remains what it is,pure and passionate.A game which every boy loves,because it involves what a boy loves doing-run with abandon.
Bring on the World Cup,I am ready to live life in a 8" diameter and bring out the boy in me.

Shit happens.

2006-05-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

It is the annual appraisal time. And mine is the only company where you stand a chance of reducing the already insignificant salary after having worked for another year.
So I had a discussion(that's what my PM calls it) with my PM last week.But it wasn't much of a discussion when you look at it.It was ,as usual, a one way volley of words. Words that came charging at me relentlessly. If there was anything that I said(this itself was rare),it was called a debate.And in my organization we encourage discussions and not debates. Much is made about the words that we utter.Not much other than endless jabber and meetings happen in my project,so I think my PM definitely had a point when he termed my views as debates.He started with my accomplishments and obviously there wasn't much I had achieved in his eyes.When it came to my deficiencies(which we call areas of improvement here) there was no end.And to top it all,after so much,I didn't even know how I was rated.I was given a floating point number and assigned to one of the Inetger point someones(Thank you Chetan Bhagat) category. And the rest as they say is history.Nothing can change this rating,no matter how I cry.
By the way, the adjacent picture aptly depicts how people at the bottom have to bear with all they shit upon them,courtesy the people at the top.

Who was Anacreon?

2006-04-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

I guess I should have posted this when I started blogging.But as they say, it's never too late. So this is for you Anacreon(the original poet, after whom I have taken my name).

Anacreon (ca. 582 BC–ca. 485 BC) Anacreon wrote lyric poetry, meaning poetry sung to the lyre. Dealing extensively with love and wine all but a few of his genuine poems remain. Most of those poems published in 17th and 18th century editions under the name Anacreon although dating from antiquity are now thought to be spurious. These are now known as Anacreontic verse.

The above two pictures are of Anacreon and one of his verses. This verse when translated in english reads as:

I, too, wish to sing of heroic deeds

(about the Atreides, and about Kadmus),

but the lyre's strings can only produce sounds of love.

Recently, I changed the strings,

and then the lyre itself,

and tried to sing of the feats of Hercules,

but still the lyre kept singing songs of love.

So, fare well, you heroes!

because my lyre sings only songs of love.....

translation by Ioannidis Nikolaos

It seems he was a die-hard romantic like me.Hence the name.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

2006-04-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

I am a person who finds it difficult to make friends. I am always wary, quiet and conscious to start off. But inspite of this I have made some very good friends in school,college and at work. I was just browsing through some of my old photographs in office(I wasn't very enthu about work on a Sunday evening) and I stumbled across this photograph.

This is a photograph of the night we had a barbecue party at Aditya's place. One of those rare occasions when some of us from college met after college got over. This one photograph reminded me of all my days in college. How a group of around 10 people got together and then moved away once Engineering was over. It started off mainly because of the fact that all of us were from places outside Bangalore. This motley band of boys was confused and lonely,away from home,away from familiar conditions and old friends. I don't know why we formed a group but I think it was because of the inherent insecurity that lay within all of us. We were basically Hindi speaking people ,now in a South Indian state,which though didn't pose any problem on the language front,did make us feel out of place to begin with. All this wasn't planned but happened naturally,especially in the second year when everyone moved out of the college hostel.

I still remember our trip to Goa, Hogenikkal and Hesarghetta (we went there the day our class got suspended).The never-ending tamasha going on the Cherry-Kapoor-Mamu's house. No one can forget the festival of holi they decided to celebrate together and ended up painting the whole house with the colours of Holi.The orderly home of Deep-Chinmay and the unruly but happening house of Cherry-Kapoor-Mamu. Night rides to Sabu Bhai's tea stall on MG Road, devouring all the kachori's that Funti got from Delhi,porn at Bhopali's and Puri's (Abhi are you listening?) house. The beer party we had when Deep cleared all his papers,Diwali at Adi's place,the North Indians Vs South Indians cricket matches,the fights between Puri and me,Abhi being the only guy to help me out when I didn't have a place to stay,Maggi for breakfast with Deep on numerous occasions,Puri's antics in and outside the classroom,Abhi and me helping out Deep when he had problems,Deep helping Abhi and me when we had problems,Hecate with his long list of girl friends,ever increasing size of Adi's waistline. And ya,cramming just before exams. So much more that I can't even think of going on further.

We didn't have much money then, but we had each other's company. We helped each other out when needed(except for one guy fondly called "Bade").Even in a prison-like college ruled by a martinet-like principal,we had a lot of fun. Deep, Funti, Abhi, Puri, Kapoor, Cherry, Mamu, Hecate, Aditya,Bhopali I really wish you guys are happy where ever you are. I also wish we could start college all over again!!This time make sure we include some girls also in our group. :-)

Honey,I shrunk the seats!

2006-04-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

It is Mandal Commission revisited.

The proposal to introduce 27% reservation for OBCs in 20 central universities, IITs and IIMs woke me rudely from my deep slumber. This proposal which is currently awaiting approval from the Manmohan Singh cabinet just made getting into the IIMs more difficult for people like me. People who unfortunately don't belong to the SC,ST or OBC. My father didn't help either by not serving in the armed forces. Nor am I handicapped(atleast physically). So I don't possess any of the qualities needed to make into our premier B schools.

Before you go ahead and label me a high caste, upper middle class, IT savvy, GenNext selfish guy, let me set some facts straight. My Dad comes from a family that didn't have enough money for two square meals a day, no money to buy books, no money for medicine. And his being a Brahmin never made things easier for him. But he had a dream which he chased and fulfilled. And he has given his children quality education and a good lives. So I am not really a guy who has always been seated on the ivory tower, unaffected by the "ground" realities.

Now, for the proposal that will make the overall quotas to go above 50%. The question uppermost on my mind is the purpose and timing of this announcement.If the purpose of it is to bring up those from backward sections of society,then I ask why the quota system that was incorporated by Mahatama Gandhi for a 10 year period is still in existence? Are not 60 odd years enough time to make all of us equal in terms of opportunity? Why is that despite this quota being present not many from these classes have actually benefited? Why is that like all good things in India this has also been concentrated to only a few? And why is it that this proposal has come just a few days before 5 states in India go for election? Another point to note is that the ruling party which has power at the centre has been losing the state elections regularly. These are some questions I would want everyone to consider before jingoism prevails.

If the reason is upliftment,then I am all for it. I just ask our leaders to make sure that it actually works and everyone has the opportunity to improve their living standards. It shouldn't be a political gimmick which serves the purpose of the political class and leaves the deserving in a hapless position. This proposal is more important in the present scenario when Indians are carving a niche for themselves in the world arena,with the alumunus from IITs/IIMs at the forefront. The mind boggling salaries offered across the Indian B schools this year were not based on the criterion of caste but ability. Why shouldn't merit be the sole criterion to get admission to these hallowed portals?

Upliftment of the downtrodden or less privileged is not something that should be thought of only when it is time to get votes. Neither can it be achieved at the top. If there really is a concern for them it should begin at the grass roots. Free education should be rendered at least till 8th standard, it should be ensured that teachers actually come to class in government schools, medical facilities should be available to all those too poor to avail of them, female infanticide should be banned.

Establishing quotas is not the panacea for all evils. And even if there needs to be some quota,shouldn't it be on financial lines(quotas for those who don't have money to eat or get decent education) than based on casteism?

I love you Mom

2006-03-30T08:22:00.000-08:00

I fell
You put me back on my toes
I cried
You gave me a pat on my back

I hesitated
You filled the gut in me
I lost
You said, I almost won the game

I was in pain
You spoke words of solace
I panicked
You brushed my fears off

I prayed
You believed, my prayers would be first answered
I said not a word
You read my heart, my mind

I smiled
You shared the joy more than me
I won
You were proud you made me

I lived
You loved the way I did
Mom,
I owe it all to you, My Life.....

Auf Wiedersehen Panja Babu

2006-03-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

Kunal left for good old land of Red (read Calcutta) last Saturday,back to his folks,back to his hometown.
I have known Kunal since my training days in Coimbatore,where he was no more than an new face for me.But some not so memorable events(I hate to call it destiny) made us take up a place to stay together.That's how Subir,Kunal and I began on a journey that started more as a convenience but blossomed into a friendship that was unique.We shared a camaraderie which did not rest on knowing everything about each other.It was not stifling,there were no conditions set nor too many questions asked.We knew that we would help each other out in any situtation,but we also knew when to keep our mouths shut.Kunal went through one of the most difficult phases of his life, and he coped remarably well during this time.I don't know what I would have done if I were in his place.I know he has come out a stronger person after this,but I fear he has lost faith in love.Then there were those innumerable moments of levity, all created out of his ingenuity in Hindi and sometimes in English too.So we had Kunal talking about his lack of ability to use a condom,watching movies such as "Son of Mask" and "Saws",and taking up smoking all brands of cigarettes from Marlboros to Flakes.It was the same stuff most of the evenings when we got back from work.Subir and me teaming up to laugh and make fun of anything he said.But to Kunal's credit,he never got touchy or irritated about any of our senseless jokes.
I didn't goto Hampi ;-) and Kashmir with him,but I will always remember our Hyderabad trip.Not because it was our first and only trip together,but because I finally found out the love of Man for his dog. I can't help smiling when I think about the "Incident of the Dog that made Kunal and Ranjan" prove their loyalties.
Jokes apart,I really had a wonderful 1 and a half years with Kunal and Subir.I am not a person who gets along with people very easily,but with them I didn't even have a single issue. I wish you the very best in life "Lotus Stalk".I hope you get all you desire.

PS-Don't forget ,Subir still gets to put his "Stamp" on your wife when you get married.

A week in SUN

2006-03-19T02:27:00.001-08:00

13th-17th March were days that were a little different from my usual working days. I had been nominated by my Company to attend a workshop in SUN Identity Management during these days. My primary reason for attending this session was that I wanted a break from work. It has become quite tedious and monotonous, I don't know why I am still sticking to it. But "Work" might be the topic of a future blog. So let me go back to SUN training I attended.
We were a group of 10 people,7 from Bangalore,2 from Bombay and 1 from Delhi. The training began on 13th and finished on 17th. I will not delve into the technical side of things but will write about something that I have experienced earlier and which resurfaced again during this training.
I have never been a person who sits quietly in class, listens to lectures diligently, and belongs to the studious group. I have had my share of antics right from school to college. What has saved me from falling into serious trouble on numerous occasions,have been my grades. And this is where the experience I talked about comes into picture. I was not exactly a role model in school and college. People did not expect great things from me. For everyone I was the kind of guy who is neither here nor there. Neither was I a totally lost case nor someone with whom people attached great capabilities. But my ISC results surprised my teachers and fellow students alike,and my consistent good performance in college(inspite of the hours wasted in the last bench) shocked the lecturers.
The same thing happened in the SUN training also. I had played a fool throughout the course. And I bet some of them who attended the course would have thought I was a total jerk. On the final day everyone was asked to give a presentation for around 5 minutes. When my turn came I could see that most of them had a smirk on their faces. They didn't think I would be able to utter a word that sense. It would be some gibberish was what they had in mind.But I was the one with a smile by the time I was done. I surprised not only my colleagues but also the trainer.
So says the trainer ,"You did well!".
And say I,"Were you surprised?".
To most people I am a little too carefree and informal, someone who is cavalier about things and doesn't know what can be achieved with a serious ,demure attitude to life. I don't mind people having such a view about me. I don't want people to have any great expectations from me,I could do very well without this unwanted pressure. I don't want to keep striving only because everyone expects me to achieve something great. I just want to follow my heart and do what I want. As I grow I am finding it more difficult to do so. I am getting trapped in the usual rigmaroles such as job security and am moving at tremendous speed towards a mediocre life.I desperately want to get out of this,but somehow all the roads are leading to a dead end.
This one week in SUN showed me what I was(a carefree,jovial guy) to what I am becoming(serious and afraid to take risks).

Hyderabad Blues,Blacks,Browns,Reds and one Kunal!!!

2006-03-08T05:44:00.000-08:00

There are holidays and there are holidays....I had a perfect weekend on 4th and 5th March.I went to Hyderabad with my roomies, Subir and Kunal.I had been planning to visit Hyderabad for some time,but it somehow never worked out.But this time it was different.I needed to get away.My mundane existence had left me void of enthusiasm.So this was a welcome break.This is what we did:

Saturday 4th March:Reached Hyderabad around 8 AM.Met Subir's parents at his home in Banjara Hills.I took an instant liking to his Mom.She is so similar to my Mom,spoiling us with delicious food all the time.After breakfast we went to Hyderabad Central University in Subir's brand new Maruti Alto.The car had done only done 250 kms.We drove around the varsity for some time.Subir's friend Ranjan also agreed to come over to the University.Meanwhile Kunal got down to his usual antics.He has a driving license so he wanted to try his hands on Subir's car.The only mistake he did was that he got confused between the brakes and the accelerator.Thankfully no damage was done to the car or the people on road oblivious to Kunal.I had some rice and dal at Gopa's after which we left the campus.On the way to the city,we saw Microsoft and ISB premises,albeit only from outside.We then met a friend of Subir's in Barista and went to Eat Street there after.Finally, with nothing more to do we headed back home.On the way back,cops caught me for allegedly jumping the traffic lights.But one of them thought I was a "Bada Saheb"(I want to believe that it had something to do with my long hair) and let us go.We had wine ,prepared by Shyam and Subir, at home.Spoke to Subir's Mom for sometime after which Subir,Shyam and Ranjan went to the roof to have beer.Just before this JoJo took a fancy to Ranjan and started to rub his privates against Ranjan's trouser.Before you go ahead and get all judgmental about this,lemme tell you that JoJo is Subir's pet dog!!This however makes the RUBBING incident funnier.Over beer ,Ranjan and Kunal had a debate on whom JoJo loves more?The night ended on this note for me.

Sunday 5th March:Woke up at 11:30 with Kunal shouting in my ears.It took me some time and a puzzled Kunal to realise that I was in Hyderbad.I somehow thought I was in Bangalore on a Sunday morning with nothing better to do than sleep.I quickly got ready and all of us left for Charminar along with Subir's Mom.On the way the cops again showed their friendliness and caught me for a second time in two days,this time for not fastening the seat belt.With characteristic Hyderabadi courtesy the extracted Rs200 from me as "fine".We reached Charminar without any more incidents.I bought bangles for my Mom and Sis.Today I realised the power of bargaining and saved Rs300 this way.We went back home and spent some more time talking to Subir's Mom before leaving to get into HELIX. Helix is a group that was formed by Subir's seniors from CBIT.I had heard a lot about it from Subir so I wanted to see how good it really was. And I was not disappointed.The members of Helix are good speakers.Kunal spoke about his trip to Kashmir and Punjab and Subir reviewed "Hung by my Family Tree", a book written by a guy called Ajit Saldana.This was followed by a round that required everyone to choose a colour and explain what significance that colour held for that person.So we had Reds(passionate),Blacks(Mysterious),Blues(cool),Browns(laid back) and Greens(Kunal) speaking their hearts out.In short it was great fun.The ideas ,the presentation was really top class.After this we had a game of MAFIA in a restaurant called Sarovar and returned home.Subir's Mom had prepared rolls for us for the bus journey back to Bangalore.We thanked her for the wonderful time we had in Hyderabad and left for the bus stand.............

P.S. -For all those who are driven crazy by the traffic in Bangalore, take a trip to Hyderabad.The roads there are amazing,especially around the Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills areas.It is a pleasure driving in Hyderabad,though the unruly way in which people drive over there leaves you cursing most of the time.Yet on the infrastructure front Hyderbad is way ahead of Bangalore.

"VINI,VIDI,VICI"

2006-03-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

He came, he saw, he conquered. And by he I mean POTUS ,Mr.George Bush, himself.None of the ever-skeptical souls like me believed that any agreement would be reached in this visit of the most powerful man in the world(or thus that title belong to a certain member of the bin-Laden family?).However,I digress.So when US assured a supply of nuclear fuel to India's thirsty nuclear reactors ,I was left wondering about the cost at which we got this? And the answer lies in the fact that India has agreed to make 14 out of its 22 nuclear sites available for inspection.And now for the ever present debate in India....
Was this too much of a cost that we paid for the supply of nuclear fuel?Or, Does this mean that now we have a solution to our perennial problem?
What ever maybe the case, a couple of things do stand out:
1. This recognizes India as a responsible nuclear state.
2. The Indo-US relations have come a long way from the past full of mistrust.

A general feeling among some sections within India is that this also marks the beginning of the control of US over Indian strategic nuclear programme.Whether this is true, only time will tell.For the moment,however,Bush has achieved more than any other past US president could;despite(or rather,through) his Dubyaspeak.

"AGE" by Anacreon

2006-03-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

Found this poem called "AGE" written by Anacreon.It beautifully expresses the joy of living in the present.
AGE
by: Anacreon (c.572-488 BC)
OFT am I by the women told,
"Poor Anacreon! thou growest old;
Look; how thy hairs are falling all;
Poor Anacreon, how they fall!"
Whether I grow old or no,
By the effects I do not know;
But this I know, without being told,
'Tis time to live, if i grow old;
'Tis time short pleasures now to take,
Of little life the best to make,
And manage wisely the last stake.
TRANSLATED BY ABRAHAM COWLEY (1618-1667)

To post or not to post?

2006-02-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

Ok,my first post. I have refrained from blogging so far because I really didn't know what a good first blog would be. But three events over the last week have made me finally add myself to the blogosphere.
1. The Jessica Lall murder case- The apathy shown towards justice is straight out of the Bollywood movies. But then our movies are to some extent representative of the decadence of our society.The verdict is not just a slap on the face of the Lalls but also on all the ordinary Indians who still have faith in the country's system.
2. Mr. Bush's visit to India. When the US is still so guarded about the Nuclear discussions with India, I don't see anything fruitful coming out of this.And God have mercy on the people stuck in traffic jams in Delhi when we play the perfect host to Mr. Dubya.
3. Supreme Court's decision of not allowing media to disclose any content from the Amar Singh tapes. Can't comment on that , can I?