Wow , boy wat an evening . Top 4 premiership clubs r all playing today . First its Man Utd vs Liverpool. An away game for Man Utd. Go Man Utd Go!!!!!
Next its Arsenal vs Chelsea. Iam gonna b glued to my tv ......lets c....its minutes away from the kick off and I hope the team Iam supporting doesnt disappoint.... Man Utd Rock!!!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Last Date @ Gold's
Last week I wasn't able to sleep well.Tossing n turning in my bed I was wondering...... when wud i get to meet ya for the one last time. Its been long since i actually looked at you n admired the kind of changes u have brought in me for the past 9 months. Memories of that day when we first met are still fresh in my mind. You had(n probably still have....) more confidence in my abilities than i ever had.
Wonder what you thought that day.Must have surely uttered these words " Oh Gosh, another jerk with the same goal" or " Spare me, not a jerk again". But still u presented that bright glow....as if complementing me on my perseverance n sayin...." This bloke has guts".
May be it was my dedication or was it the spirit that i possessed. Wateva it was.... 6 months down the line i really have to thank my stars n trainer harish without whom this meeting was almost impossible . Without your presence, I was just a loner trying to find my way. Your face just presented me the inspiration i needed and the gentle reminder that ..."u ought to achieve some more before u can start bragging...... :) "
Needless to say ......the goals that i aimed to achieve, when u came in my life, have all been attained. But I havent rested or paused cos i know .....u will leave one day only to remind me that when there is sweetness around , pain won't be far away. You will be one of my sweetest memories. An hour and half of meeting you everyday at gold's is all i need to enjoy the most beautiful moments in my life......... May be i will meet smone better than u next week...(how rude n insensitive can i get..) but yes watever is scheduled has to happen....... So my sweet heart you also have to go to be replaced by someone else . ......yes ..........my sweet lil "gym diary" u wud be replaced next week gym schedule which will try n take care of me the way u did.....However its simply impossible to forget u,
Rest in peace my sweet heart........
" gym schedule1 ( 18-12-2006 to 30-08-2007)"
Wonder what you thought that day.Must have surely uttered these words " Oh Gosh, another jerk with the same goal" or " Spare me, not a jerk again". But still u presented that bright glow....as if complementing me on my perseverance n sayin...." This bloke has guts".
May be it was my dedication or was it the spirit that i possessed. Wateva it was.... 6 months down the line i really have to thank my stars n trainer harish without whom this meeting was almost impossible . Without your presence, I was just a loner trying to find my way. Your face just presented me the inspiration i needed and the gentle reminder that ..."u ought to achieve some more before u can start bragging...... :) "
Needless to say ......the goals that i aimed to achieve, when u came in my life, have all been attained. But I havent rested or paused cos i know .....u will leave one day only to remind me that when there is sweetness around , pain won't be far away. You will be one of my sweetest memories. An hour and half of meeting you everyday at gold's is all i need to enjoy the most beautiful moments in my life......... May be i will meet smone better than u next week...(how rude n insensitive can i get..) but yes watever is scheduled has to happen....... So my sweet heart you also have to go to be replaced by someone else . ......yes ..........my sweet lil "gym diary" u wud be replaced next week gym schedule which will try n take care of me the way u did.....However its simply impossible to forget u,
Rest in peace my sweet heart........
" gym schedule1 ( 18-12-2006 to 30-08-2007)"
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Life still exists
A really nice n sweet forward that has been circulated to all of us.I thought lemme have this on my blog as it really stuck a chord. Here it is.....
"Gone are the days!!! My Friend...
When
The school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and
benches!
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books
and notes!
Whenwe wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
We learnt writing with
slates and pencils, and
Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips!
When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Color pencils and finally sketch pens!
When we started calculating
first with tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to
Calculators and computers!
When we chased one another in the
corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms
Drenched in sweat!
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds,
under the trees and even in cycle sheds!
When all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays!
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons!
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls!
When few played
"kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,
While others simply played
"book cricket" in the
Confines of classroom!
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy!
When we used to
watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks!
When few rushed at 3 o Clock to
"Conquer" window seats in our School bus!
While few others had "Big Fun", "peppermint",
"kulfi", " milk ice !" and "sharbat !" at 3 3o!
Gone are the days
Of Sports Day,
and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long
preparations for them.
Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly,
Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most
enjoyed holidays after them!
Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when
We Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests!
We learnt,
We enjoyed,
We played,
we won,
we lost,
We laughed,
we cried,
we fought,
we thought.
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more!
Gone are the days
When we used
to talk for hours with our friends!
Now we don't have time to say a `Hi'!
Gone are the days
When we played games on the road!
Now we
Code on the road with laptop!
Gone are the days
When we saw stars
shining at Night!
Now we see stars when our code doesn't
Work!
Gone are the days
When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds!
Now we chat in chat rooms.....!
Gone are the days
Where we
studied just to pass!
Now we study to save our job!
Gone are the days
Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!!
Now we have the atm as well as credit card but with an empty heart!!
Gone are the days
Where we shouted on the road!
Now we don't shout even at home
Gone are the days
where we got lectures from all!
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!!
Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and ever.....
Gone are the Days.... But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!!
NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE,
DONT FORGET TO
LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL
EXISTS......"
---(source unknown)
"Gone are the days!!! My Friend...
When
The school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and
benches!
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books
and notes!
Whenwe wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
We learnt writing with
slates and pencils, and
Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips!
When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Color pencils and finally sketch pens!
When we started calculating
first with tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to
Calculators and computers!
When we chased one another in the
corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms
Drenched in sweat!
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds,
under the trees and even in cycle sheds!
When all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays!
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons!
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls!
When few played
"kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,
While others simply played
"book cricket" in the
Confines of classroom!
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy!
When we used to
watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks!
When few rushed at 3 o Clock to
"Conquer" window seats in our School bus!
While few others had "Big Fun", "peppermint",
"kulfi", " milk ice !" and "sharbat !" at 3 3o!
Gone are the days
Of Sports Day,
and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long
preparations for them.
Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly,
Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most
enjoyed holidays after them!
Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when
We Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests!
We learnt,
We enjoyed,
We played,
we won,
we lost,
We laughed,
we cried,
we fought,
we thought.
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more!
Gone are the days
When we used
to talk for hours with our friends!
Now we don't have time to say a `Hi'!
Gone are the days
When we played games on the road!
Now we
Code on the road with laptop!
Gone are the days
When we saw stars
shining at Night!
Now we see stars when our code doesn't
Work!
Gone are the days
When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds!
Now we chat in chat rooms.....!
Gone are the days
Where we
studied just to pass!
Now we study to save our job!
Gone are the days
Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!!
Now we have the atm as well as credit card but with an empty heart!!
Gone are the days
Where we shouted on the road!
Now we don't shout even at home
Gone are the days
where we got lectures from all!
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!!
Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and ever.....
Gone are the Days.... But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!!
NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE,
DONT FORGET TO
LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL
EXISTS......"
---(source unknown)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Image
Hi guys.....slightly off shooting from the main topic that my blog generally talks about. This snap of mine i had been trying to put on my profile since ages and every time i tried editing my profile it gave me a message saying link broken and url not found.Fortunately i was introduced to a website known as www.tinypic.com which lets u upload ur pic and in return gives u the url too so that u can post on blogs, forums etc...
So i guess if anyone is trying to use the methods which blogger is suggesting ......my 2 cents on it...simpler method is available at tinypics.
So keep blogging and adding images to spice up ur blog.
Monday, March 12, 2007
End of a Journey .......Only to start afresh
Saturday mornings are generally pretty laid back at office. The silence in the office with all the hotshots going to the "production review", is simply the most awaited time for all those who work at the grassroots (like me.. :)) . Every commoner indulges in a few vital hours of "orkutting" or "gmailing" to catch up on the weekly snippets that was due for discussion for the entire week.I often end up mailing my sis and friends on the updates if any on my front.
But 10.03.07 was different. I had been waiting for some news bytes from Yale. This school ranks pretty high and i should have refrained from apping to it ,yet something told me that this is my fit n its gotta b yale for an MBA.On opening gmail there i saw the mail with subject line as " Yale SOM admission status updated"
This almost told me that acceptance mails never have such subject lines. So it was just the plain formality that was left. I actually logged on to the Yale website as I was curious to know the exact words that told me that it’s a ding .
All such mails have an awesome verbal display. It makes you believe that u have got everything except what the b-schools are looking for :-))). My prior experience with such mails came to my rescue, as this letter from the Director of Admissions was short and sweet.This year for the 4th time I will be hearing the same “limited number of seats” phrase.So 2006 for me will be the year of misses rather than many hits.
There have been so many negatives, which I don’t even want to think about right now. The only silver lining that I could pick up was that my profile was able to get me interviews and it only fell apart when they saw that my GMAT let my application down. After loads of deliberations with some of my closest pals and my family, I have decided…(Yes, I have decided finally) iam going to have my crack at GMAT again.This implies inspite of having an admit iam going to defer my admission at one of good schools in my view to take a shot at that elusive Yale seat again.
So, guys here I present my blog that will turn into a quest for this elusive dream in the year 07-08. I will keep u posted with everything regarding my falls and even tad bit of breakthroughs that I gain. I hope the post on the day 10.03.08 reads “Victorious Atlast “. Let the game begin…...
But 10.03.07 was different. I had been waiting for some news bytes from Yale. This school ranks pretty high and i should have refrained from apping to it ,yet something told me that this is my fit n its gotta b yale for an MBA.On opening gmail there i saw the mail with subject line as " Yale SOM admission status updated"
This almost told me that acceptance mails never have such subject lines. So it was just the plain formality that was left. I actually logged on to the Yale website as I was curious to know the exact words that told me that it’s a ding .
All such mails have an awesome verbal display. It makes you believe that u have got everything except what the b-schools are looking for :-))). My prior experience with such mails came to my rescue, as this letter from the Director of Admissions was short and sweet.This year for the 4th time I will be hearing the same “limited number of seats” phrase.So 2006 for me will be the year of misses rather than many hits.
There have been so many negatives, which I don’t even want to think about right now. The only silver lining that I could pick up was that my profile was able to get me interviews and it only fell apart when they saw that my GMAT let my application down. After loads of deliberations with some of my closest pals and my family, I have decided…(Yes, I have decided finally) iam going to have my crack at GMAT again.This implies inspite of having an admit iam going to defer my admission at one of good schools in my view to take a shot at that elusive Yale seat again.
So, guys here I present my blog that will turn into a quest for this elusive dream in the year 07-08. I will keep u posted with everything regarding my falls and even tad bit of breakthroughs that I gain. I hope the post on the day 10.03.08 reads “Victorious Atlast “. Let the game begin…...
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Chillax
Yeah thats wat is the mood today. As i see most of my colleagues slog ( the month end phenomena), I can't help myself from smiling and thankin god for savin me from this drill this time . I am through with my design and thus enjoying a welcome break owing to some very very laid-back decision making skills of some of my superiors . Hatzzz off to all my superiors. U guyzzz rockkkkk!!!!! :-)))
Still the trouble is that when it comes to enjoyin these off-days something or the other has to go wrong. This time...it is my head. Having a severe headache..(i guess tried to be a smart ass and thought a lot when it wasn't required ...:-)) )
So what seemed like a perfect paid holiday has gone a lil awry. Nevermind....the song collection on my workstation did come to my rescue. As the slow soothing music played on in my ear phones.......i almost went into a trance...totally oblivious of the fact that my boss (who shares the cubicle space with me n 2 of my colleagues)was givin me some nasty stares. But then...when i slog ppl party....so i care a damn. Cheers to the free time. This has been a welcome break and iam trying to utilise this in the best possible way i can ...cos i know within 2 days my a$$ will be on fire as the pending decisions arrive. But till then it will be simply "Vacation Time"
Still the trouble is that when it comes to enjoyin these off-days something or the other has to go wrong. This time...it is my head. Having a severe headache..(i guess tried to be a smart ass and thought a lot when it wasn't required ...:-)) )
So what seemed like a perfect paid holiday has gone a lil awry. Nevermind....the song collection on my workstation did come to my rescue. As the slow soothing music played on in my ear phones.......i almost went into a trance...totally oblivious of the fact that my boss (who shares the cubicle space with me n 2 of my colleagues)was givin me some nasty stares. But then...when i slog ppl party....so i care a damn. Cheers to the free time. This has been a welcome break and iam trying to utilise this in the best possible way i can ...cos i know within 2 days my a$$ will be on fire as the pending decisions arrive. But till then it will be simply "Vacation Time"
Monday, February 05, 2007
Go for the Glory or Go bust
Last few days have been quite eventful. Lotsa good things happenin in a week.
One of the events has been simply worth the mention.
The event that kick started it all was the big bang interview invite from one of the "Ivy" league Colleges. I know, I know..... its just the first step and the most important hurdle lies ahead. More so because now there will be atleast 1000 great minds who will be competing for those few seats. But, lemme take a pause n just let this moment sink in. Actually I couldn't believe they actually gave me an invite. As soon as i saw the e-mail.......instantaneous reaction was "Oh shit".......( never even realised when my boss from adjacent seat threw a furtive glance at me to check out what i was upto) . Next few moments were dedicated for making phone calls and writing mails.....a) to my sis b) to one of my closest buddies Ranjith c) to Min -----cos it was she who actually thought i had a chance even when i didn't even contemplate apping to the Ivys.Thanx Min, for being there for me.
Also hats off to Ajay and Yugita, who after knowing that i had appd to such a good school always hoped that i wud get into it. Ajay has been helping me through out. Buddy this post is for u. Infact, When i was clueless bout what to do next this guy has been a phenom with his info and research. I can stick my neck out n say, Ajay Simha is an HBS material. If he settles for anything less ......its a mighty loss.....not for him but to an institution like HBS.Yugita, on the other hand, went out of her way to reply to my queries(however silly they might have been). She has given the valuable insider's view on it....n can still remember her magical words which concluded with---- "hope to see u in Aug"
As i grapple with theWhys and Why nows that will be fired at me .....I just know that this is it..... . The hours of cribbing bout lack of opportunity n the bickerings on this particular "rejected" scenario, which had almost been the routine with so many of my colleagues in domestic b-school apping game, almost made me think that i was gonna go the same way this year. Maybe this is not the only aspect thats gonna see whether iam gonna get that coveted admit. But then....I am gonna go at it with the attitude that reads.......
"Go for the Glory or Go bust"
One of the events has been simply worth the mention.
The event that kick started it all was the big bang interview invite from one of the "Ivy" league Colleges. I know, I know..... its just the first step and the most important hurdle lies ahead. More so because now there will be atleast 1000 great minds who will be competing for those few seats. But, lemme take a pause n just let this moment sink in. Actually I couldn't believe they actually gave me an invite. As soon as i saw the e-mail.......instantaneous reaction was "Oh shit".......( never even realised when my boss from adjacent seat threw a furtive glance at me to check out what i was upto) . Next few moments were dedicated for making phone calls and writing mails.....a) to my sis b) to one of my closest buddies Ranjith c) to Min -----cos it was she who actually thought i had a chance even when i didn't even contemplate apping to the Ivys.Thanx Min, for being there for me.
Also hats off to Ajay and Yugita, who after knowing that i had appd to such a good school always hoped that i wud get into it. Ajay has been helping me through out. Buddy this post is for u. Infact, When i was clueless bout what to do next this guy has been a phenom with his info and research. I can stick my neck out n say, Ajay Simha is an HBS material. If he settles for anything less ......its a mighty loss.....not for him but to an institution like HBS.Yugita, on the other hand, went out of her way to reply to my queries(however silly they might have been). She has given the valuable insider's view on it....n can still remember her magical words which concluded with---- "hope to see u in Aug"
As i grapple with theWhys and Why nows that will be fired at me .....I just know that this is it..... . The hours of cribbing bout lack of opportunity n the bickerings on this particular "rejected" scenario, which had almost been the routine with so many of my colleagues in domestic b-school apping game, almost made me think that i was gonna go the same way this year. Maybe this is not the only aspect thats gonna see whether iam gonna get that coveted admit. But then....I am gonna go at it with the attitude that reads.......
"Go for the Glory or Go bust"
Friday, January 26, 2007
Goal
Today , after travelling by road for 8 long hours, I came home at 6 am. I actually felt like a king when i got sweet home made "special tea" soon after arriving. These small things like the luxury of depending on ur parents,having those get togethers on festivals and the comfort levels that one gets from his family, i feel are simply unmatched.
With this frame of mind, I was suddenly having those bouts of thinking and rethinking bout my plans to study in US.Now one might wonder y am i spinning a yarn on this emotional note today n that too when my theme is totally different.It's because after these thoughts made me go crazy, i decided to watch the movie "Goal". Choice of the film wasn't based on any particular grounds (............ just cos (a) i had the access to this movie alone and(b) i hadn't watched it inspite of making plans to see it time n again for the past 2 months.)
My decision with movies has never been so right as it was today. "Goal" simply packs the punch . Simple theme, strong emotions & the urge to succeed is what makes this movie click. More so because it kinda firmly nailed the doubts that i had about pursuing my dream.
Santiago Munez, the protagonist is a LA resident, grown up on a staple diet of................"Soccer" or Football as they refer to in England. Simple turn of events occur.....a former scout sees the potential in Munez and convinces Newcastle United Coach to give him a trial.
Munez, against his father's wishes, lands up in newcastle and gets a trial with the reserve lads....fairs poorly n sees his dreams fade away. Emotions run high n the scout convinces newcastle coach to give him a fair trial for a month. Santiago latches on to the chance.....impresses everyone...(including the lady doc who first did his preliminary testing) .
Now everyone might feel ...........oh soooooo the story goes that this guy becomes a champ footballer.
Just as you start feeling that Santiago is the next big thing, story takes a slight twist that keeps the viewer on the edge of the seat.It is this ability of the script that simply keeps the viewer interested all the time.In the reserve side match against Man Utd , Santiago's asthama comes to light. Almost on the verge of being kicked out from the reserve squad, his case is pleaded by the Glamour boy of Newcastle united "Harris" who himself is in the line of fire for his abysmal performance on the pitch and his pompous lifestyle off it
Coach keeps the faith in the lad and from here on Munez's path to glory simply has to be watched. He further faces a heart breaking moment but still manages to come to terms with it and perform.
Films based on this genre, generally have one twist and as soon as the protagonist is through the 30 minutes of agony,tears and depression, he immediately strides towards glory and is seldom heldback during this charge towards his aspiration.
"Goal" deviates from other films in this aspect. This is because, time and again, Santiago Munez falters before he gets what he wants. Thus "Goal" is more closer to reality in the sense that in life we also falter so many times before getting what we want. It rightly shows the dejection and an almost backing out scenario of the protagonist which is what happens in real life too. When dreams shatter, many of us do get back to our comfort zones rather than getting up and trying again...( which is easier said than done...).
Slick football moves, shades of happiness followed quickly by shades of gloom and a sound performance from each actor is what drives home the point .
Don't know y i didn't watch it earlier but i guess it was best suited for the mood i was in today . For anyone seeking buckets of motivation, my advice would be.....Set ur sights firmly on this "Goal"....
With this frame of mind, I was suddenly having those bouts of thinking and rethinking bout my plans to study in US.Now one might wonder y am i spinning a yarn on this emotional note today n that too when my theme is totally different.It's because after these thoughts made me go crazy, i decided to watch the movie "Goal". Choice of the film wasn't based on any particular grounds (............ just cos (a) i had the access to this movie alone and(b) i hadn't watched it inspite of making plans to see it time n again for the past 2 months.)
My decision with movies has never been so right as it was today. "Goal" simply packs the punch . Simple theme, strong emotions & the urge to succeed is what makes this movie click. More so because it kinda firmly nailed the doubts that i had about pursuing my dream.
Santiago Munez, the protagonist is a LA resident, grown up on a staple diet of................"Soccer" or Football as they refer to in England. Simple turn of events occur.....a former scout sees the potential in Munez and convinces Newcastle United Coach to give him a trial.
Munez, against his father's wishes, lands up in newcastle and gets a trial with the reserve lads....fairs poorly n sees his dreams fade away. Emotions run high n the scout convinces newcastle coach to give him a fair trial for a month. Santiago latches on to the chance.....impresses everyone...(including the lady doc who first did his preliminary testing) .
Now everyone might feel ...........oh soooooo the story goes that this guy becomes a champ footballer.
Just as you start feeling that Santiago is the next big thing, story takes a slight twist that keeps the viewer on the edge of the seat.It is this ability of the script that simply keeps the viewer interested all the time.In the reserve side match against Man Utd , Santiago's asthama comes to light. Almost on the verge of being kicked out from the reserve squad, his case is pleaded by the Glamour boy of Newcastle united "Harris" who himself is in the line of fire for his abysmal performance on the pitch and his pompous lifestyle off it
Coach keeps the faith in the lad and from here on Munez's path to glory simply has to be watched. He further faces a heart breaking moment but still manages to come to terms with it and perform.
Films based on this genre, generally have one twist and as soon as the protagonist is through the 30 minutes of agony,tears and depression, he immediately strides towards glory and is seldom heldback during this charge towards his aspiration.
"Goal" deviates from other films in this aspect. This is because, time and again, Santiago Munez falters before he gets what he wants. Thus "Goal" is more closer to reality in the sense that in life we also falter so many times before getting what we want. It rightly shows the dejection and an almost backing out scenario of the protagonist which is what happens in real life too. When dreams shatter, many of us do get back to our comfort zones rather than getting up and trying again...( which is easier said than done...).
Slick football moves, shades of happiness followed quickly by shades of gloom and a sound performance from each actor is what drives home the point .
Don't know y i didn't watch it earlier but i guess it was best suited for the mood i was in today . For anyone seeking buckets of motivation, my advice would be.....Set ur sights firmly on this "Goal"....
Thursday, September 14, 2006
SOP on Coffee Table
Yesterday, I could really understand how the ambience influences any piece of literature. Although my written works have been miles off from the literary fireworks but still i could see the difference in the way i think and write about something when there is right kind of atmosphere.
For the whole of last week, I had been planning to put together a decent statement of purpose. On Monday, while i was at home i tried delving into the subject and finding out why i wanted to go to a grad school. But the flow wasn't there in any of the write-ups that i wrote. Thats because early in the morning i simply wasn't in the mood to let loose my creative self. Tuesday was a similar story. The entire morning I dabbled with the write-up / SOP. But the only thing concrete that came out of it was a bucket full of paper trash. On Tuesday, it was the chaos at my work place that kept disturbing me. Also my apartment security knocked at least 5 times on the door for various reasons.
I had given myself time till Friday to put down at least answers to questions like a) Why i needed an MBA b) Short term / long term goals c) Any specialization that i particularly wanted to enroll into.
So as the deadline approached, On Wednesday I tried to shift into a subtler environment that could inspire the writer in me. The lounge music which i had put on to ensure that i write something, was soothing enough to inspire me to go n sleep...(see I am such a lazy bum.)
Then came Thursday, that’s yesterday something amazing happened. First in the morning got the news that a couple of my batch management trainees have left for greener pastures. It was nice to see them try n make the most of the Indian Job Scene. When i met them at office in the morning lots of old dorm talks / gossips emerged. Everyone was a bit nostalgic and everyone had a good thing or two to share about our first year in ABB.
I returned to work feeling a little sad that some of my closest pals had left. Soon I will also leave but exactly when that I don’t know. The morning get-together led me to think that how we worked closely on different projects together. Unknowingly I wanted to pen down everything that came to mind. But due to my hectic work schedule for the day I couldn’t put anything on my blog, forget about writing it down in a diary.
The evening was amazing as I grooved to the latest hip-hop tunes. Mayur and Heer as usual gave the best moves, which we tried to follow. But time and again, the mistakes seemed inevitable. Finally One routine of 4 bars was performed … and only three repetitions (wow …that’s the best I have ever done in the past six months with spin’s instructors).
Although my performance was marred by some errors, but it was all-fine as I could complete the routine with finesse. I left the premises of class with an urge to pen down something about the day. I went straight to Barista, ordered my favourite bru afagarto (…incidently this drink has lots of sweet memories attached to it so generally I have to order this @ barista) and with this started writing out on the note pad, which I had in my bag. After the first draft, the words started flowing smoothly. Revisions / Redrafts happened on its own. After 5 revisions I atleast had a motive as to why I wanted to attend a Grad School. An hour and a cappuccino later I was absolutely ready with several drafts of my SOP. Then I realized that barista was bustling with crowd by 9.30 pm. Families were enjoying the outing, couples were spending quality time in cozy corners and groups of youngsters were bantering over a cup of coffee. In the midst of this seemingly chaotic scene, I was so preoccupied with my coffee and the task on hand that I didn’t realize that how time flew by. It was almost 12 am when the guy behind the counter interrupted the linkin park song and announced that it was time for last order of the day. A moment later with my espresso on one side of the table, I started giving finishing touches to my statement of purpose.
Writing this 600-word document has been nothing less than writing an epic for me. I will put down in detail how one should go about it once I get any worthwhile admits. But admits or rejects, I have decided to pen down these moments (struggle while apping) of my life because this process of application simply makes u aware of who u really are and what purpose u plan to serve in this short productive life span. The process really (and I mean it) lets u know what your goals are and how you are going to go about it.
Lets see where I end up. Maybe 20 years down the line I can reflect back on this blog entry of mine and update it. With title……… “20 years hence”…
For the whole of last week, I had been planning to put together a decent statement of purpose. On Monday, while i was at home i tried delving into the subject and finding out why i wanted to go to a grad school. But the flow wasn't there in any of the write-ups that i wrote. Thats because early in the morning i simply wasn't in the mood to let loose my creative self. Tuesday was a similar story. The entire morning I dabbled with the write-up / SOP. But the only thing concrete that came out of it was a bucket full of paper trash. On Tuesday, it was the chaos at my work place that kept disturbing me. Also my apartment security knocked at least 5 times on the door for various reasons.
I had given myself time till Friday to put down at least answers to questions like a) Why i needed an MBA b) Short term / long term goals c) Any specialization that i particularly wanted to enroll into.
So as the deadline approached, On Wednesday I tried to shift into a subtler environment that could inspire the writer in me. The lounge music which i had put on to ensure that i write something, was soothing enough to inspire me to go n sleep...(see I am such a lazy bum.)
Then came Thursday, that’s yesterday something amazing happened. First in the morning got the news that a couple of my batch management trainees have left for greener pastures. It was nice to see them try n make the most of the Indian Job Scene. When i met them at office in the morning lots of old dorm talks / gossips emerged. Everyone was a bit nostalgic and everyone had a good thing or two to share about our first year in ABB.
I returned to work feeling a little sad that some of my closest pals had left. Soon I will also leave but exactly when that I don’t know. The morning get-together led me to think that how we worked closely on different projects together. Unknowingly I wanted to pen down everything that came to mind. But due to my hectic work schedule for the day I couldn’t put anything on my blog, forget about writing it down in a diary.
The evening was amazing as I grooved to the latest hip-hop tunes. Mayur and Heer as usual gave the best moves, which we tried to follow. But time and again, the mistakes seemed inevitable. Finally One routine of 4 bars was performed … and only three repetitions (wow …that’s the best I have ever done in the past six months with spin’s instructors).
Although my performance was marred by some errors, but it was all-fine as I could complete the routine with finesse. I left the premises of class with an urge to pen down something about the day. I went straight to Barista, ordered my favourite bru afagarto (…incidently this drink has lots of sweet memories attached to it so generally I have to order this @ barista) and with this started writing out on the note pad, which I had in my bag. After the first draft, the words started flowing smoothly. Revisions / Redrafts happened on its own. After 5 revisions I atleast had a motive as to why I wanted to attend a Grad School. An hour and a cappuccino later I was absolutely ready with several drafts of my SOP. Then I realized that barista was bustling with crowd by 9.30 pm. Families were enjoying the outing, couples were spending quality time in cozy corners and groups of youngsters were bantering over a cup of coffee. In the midst of this seemingly chaotic scene, I was so preoccupied with my coffee and the task on hand that I didn’t realize that how time flew by. It was almost 12 am when the guy behind the counter interrupted the linkin park song and announced that it was time for last order of the day. A moment later with my espresso on one side of the table, I started giving finishing touches to my statement of purpose.
Writing this 600-word document has been nothing less than writing an epic for me. I will put down in detail how one should go about it once I get any worthwhile admits. But admits or rejects, I have decided to pen down these moments (struggle while apping) of my life because this process of application simply makes u aware of who u really are and what purpose u plan to serve in this short productive life span. The process really (and I mean it) lets u know what your goals are and how you are going to go about it.
Lets see where I end up. Maybe 20 years down the line I can reflect back on this blog entry of mine and update it. With title……… “20 years hence”…
Monday, September 11, 2006
Sri's Routine ...
Last week Jaimin, Sri and myself had a couple of hours to spare n hence decided to
brood over a cup of coffee n a burger. Incidently Sri recently got his promotion. So his treat was pending anyways.
I have known sri n jaimin since quite some time but never had the time to actually go hang out with them. Sri actually is an amazing guy (not because he was treating us) but simply because he maintains such a hectic schedule without cribbing.
The good thing i learnt from him was time management. The guy actually uses (in the real sense) atleast 20 hrs of his day if not 24. Twice a week gymming for coupla hours and dance classes for the other 2 days. On sundays, this guy gets up at around 5 am and travels 60 km to attend his karate classes . Thats the time when iam
in my bed and in deeeeeeeeeep sleep.
Also consider this ... He has been following this schedule since the past 2 years. Truly awesome for a working professional. Hatz off to u dude.
brood over a cup of coffee n a burger. Incidently Sri recently got his promotion. So his treat was pending anyways.
I have known sri n jaimin since quite some time but never had the time to actually go hang out with them. Sri actually is an amazing guy (not because he was treating us) but simply because he maintains such a hectic schedule without cribbing.
The good thing i learnt from him was time management. The guy actually uses (in the real sense) atleast 20 hrs of his day if not 24. Twice a week gymming for coupla hours and dance classes for the other 2 days. On sundays, this guy gets up at around 5 am and travels 60 km to attend his karate classes . Thats the time when iam
in my bed and in deeeeeeeeeep sleep.
Also consider this ... He has been following this schedule since the past 2 years. Truly awesome for a working professional. Hatz off to u dude.
Friday, September 01, 2006
8 Commandments that govern my life
This week i have been juggling around with my study schedules. The sole reason for this is the design on which iam working on. Now i "generally" don't pen down the complications happening in my professional life. But somehow after working on this i have realised i think i should write bout it.
The first aspect that it is the largest transformer that has ever been short circuit tested by any manufacturer in India. Second aspect n the aspect which i fear the most is that its reference design had an intial set back before it cud get smoothly tested.
This design from day one has been a roller coaster ride. The things which i assumed were a cake walk have turned out to be really messy . On the other hand the thing about which i made a big hue n cry was nothing but a 30 min job.
In the middle stages , i felt totally on my own...no reference n no one to guide cos one of my senior colleague (Mr. K) was on vacation. So dilemma a) follow the reference design n pray that there is no setback thereby meeting the deadline b) wait for Mr. K to return n then proceed , but with a delay of 7 x 3=21 working shifts.
One hotch potch solution to solve the dilemma has been worked out as of now. Teleconferencing with Mr. K for an hour in the morning....interpreting the result of it (which i am generally bad at :-)) ) n then proceeding with the modifications.
I dunno the fate of the design ....but the most interesting things that i have learned from this (n just for which i wrote the above 4-5 crappy paragraphs ) were....
a) Watever be the time frame u have worked on in the project .....still there is
something that u have forgotten to incorporate till the last minute that will stall the release of the product design.
b) Try n keep things as plain n simple as possible. Too much of innovation results in ......... a kick on ur ass (as top bosses always agree to plain simple version ...spice up the things n ....dhooom ....there u go flying out off the conference room)
c) Never trust a client.....( they r generally smooth operators...n use ur sense b4 u commit any thing. Believe them blindly at ur own risk !!!!)
d) Believe in Murphy's law.Watever can fail, will fail(...my interpretation of the law .dunno if thats the correct one ). Don't ever take printers/workstations/laptops/PENDRIVES/CDs for granted . These devices can and will screw up ur life the day u r about to present ur design to ur boss/VP/MD etc etc.
e) When u feel that 80 % of the project is done......in an hour or so u realise shit iam back to square one n have to start from near bout scratch.
f) Don't ever relax till the complete design is signed off.. just when u thought u have done it....there r some natural forces that will act and somehow client will ask for a change the very next day ......n this throws off ur schedule n weekend/holiday plans .
g) The day u make grand plans with ur family/girlfriend/boyfriend/friends.....ur boss has to give u a call and inform u that u will be required this weekend and u have to cancel all plans that u have made.
h) Last but not the least....expect urself to slog it alone...cos when u will be heavily loaded.... by fate or coincidence all ur colleagues will have loads of time for fun n frolic in office as well as outside it.
Hence when ever u have free time...live life king size. U never know when u will get that weekend off/holiday again :-))
The first aspect that it is the largest transformer that has ever been short circuit tested by any manufacturer in India. Second aspect n the aspect which i fear the most is that its reference design had an intial set back before it cud get smoothly tested.
This design from day one has been a roller coaster ride. The things which i assumed were a cake walk have turned out to be really messy . On the other hand the thing about which i made a big hue n cry was nothing but a 30 min job.
In the middle stages , i felt totally on my own...no reference n no one to guide cos one of my senior colleague (Mr. K) was on vacation. So dilemma a) follow the reference design n pray that there is no setback thereby meeting the deadline b) wait for Mr. K to return n then proceed , but with a delay of 7 x 3=21 working shifts.
One hotch potch solution to solve the dilemma has been worked out as of now. Teleconferencing with Mr. K for an hour in the morning....interpreting the result of it (which i am generally bad at :-)) ) n then proceeding with the modifications.
I dunno the fate of the design ....but the most interesting things that i have learned from this (n just for which i wrote the above 4-5 crappy paragraphs ) were....
a) Watever be the time frame u have worked on in the project .....still there is
something that u have forgotten to incorporate till the last minute that will stall the release of the product design.
b) Try n keep things as plain n simple as possible. Too much of innovation results in ......... a kick on ur ass (as top bosses always agree to plain simple version ...spice up the things n ....dhooom ....there u go flying out off the conference room)
c) Never trust a client.....( they r generally smooth operators...n use ur sense b4 u commit any thing. Believe them blindly at ur own risk !!!!)
d) Believe in Murphy's law.Watever can fail, will fail(...my interpretation of the law .dunno if thats the correct one ). Don't ever take printers/workstations/laptops/PENDRIVES/CDs for granted . These devices can and will screw up ur life the day u r about to present ur design to ur boss/VP/MD etc etc.
e) When u feel that 80 % of the project is done......in an hour or so u realise shit iam back to square one n have to start from near bout scratch.
f) Don't ever relax till the complete design is signed off.. just when u thought u have done it....there r some natural forces that will act and somehow client will ask for a change the very next day ......n this throws off ur schedule n weekend/holiday plans .
g) The day u make grand plans with ur family/girlfriend/boyfriend/friends.....ur boss has to give u a call and inform u that u will be required this weekend and u have to cancel all plans that u have made.
h) Last but not the least....expect urself to slog it alone...cos when u will be heavily loaded.... by fate or coincidence all ur colleagues will have loads of time for fun n frolic in office as well as outside it.
Hence when ever u have free time...live life king size. U never know when u will get that weekend off/holiday again :-))
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Stressed out......
Past 24 hours for me have been the most nerve wracking . Every hour has brought up a new dilemma.The day started with dad asking me whether I would get leave of about 13 days for a trip abroad. Impulsively i uttered yes (can justify that iam desperate for a vacation now!!! its been a year since i had a decent break) . I realised just after ( and it had to be that the booking was made by then :-(( )that i may not make it to that trip as some work n other committments wud force me to chuck it. Entire morning was wasted literally just brooding over this.
Then there was this discussion in which my current state was the core of the debate. The point was whether to "app" now or sit n crack gmat again.It would have been so fruitful had my pals n me arrived at a definite verdict ....but to my bad luck half the junta said app now immediately n half the junta saying dude...try n go for that glorious score (if at all......) again....
As if this was not enough,a repeat order (already test passed design ) for a 66kV product has run into rough weather. Compounding my problems is the fact that i dont have any information the way this earlier design was done n to look into it would atleast take a day and to add to my woes the shop floor wants the clarification in an hour.....
I have only few words to describe wat one should do when plagued by such dilemmas........Look up into the sky n pray to god SAVE MY SOUL....:-)
Then there was this discussion in which my current state was the core of the debate. The point was whether to "app" now or sit n crack gmat again.It would have been so fruitful had my pals n me arrived at a definite verdict ....but to my bad luck half the junta said app now immediately n half the junta saying dude...try n go for that glorious score (if at all......) again....
As if this was not enough,a repeat order (already test passed design ) for a 66kV product has run into rough weather. Compounding my problems is the fact that i dont have any information the way this earlier design was done n to look into it would atleast take a day and to add to my woes the shop floor wants the clarification in an hour.....
I have only few words to describe wat one should do when plagued by such dilemmas........Look up into the sky n pray to god SAVE MY SOUL....:-)
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Trip to Mahi
Last week was an eventful one.First was the departure to singapore of a dear friend . Its an important event as this friend of mine instilled in me a different view to see life. Before i met this wonderful friend entire focus of my professional life had been to do well in my short yet sweet professional career.The total chillax attitude in responding to some of the gravest of the problems around was her trademark style.
This trademark style prompted me to take a leaf out of her book n try a bit of adventure sport.As in ,riding a bike can hardly be called as adventure sport but well it was a good begining. So it was upto me n Kunal to flag of the trip. Kunal is one guy who will always be there on such kind of trips. Giving me a bike , a destination and he is on his way. Leave him alone to figure out the route n trust me u won't be disappointed.
The ride started with me n kunal cruising on our bikes. Although we had touched speeds in excess of 100 kms on our last ride, this it was like a cruise. We seldom did go beyond 40 kph speed mark.
This place where we had planned to go was --bank of river Mahi . Thats about 20 kms from the place where i stay . We started at around 10 am. A tinge of green was visible throughout the ride on either side of the road . Also the best thing about this route was we couldn't see even one pothole on the tar road . Hatz off to the road development corporation for maintaining it.On the way we picked up the bare essentials (read that as ...snacks/coke/ ciggies for kunal n center fresh for me ...:-) )
As soon as we reached there, the view of the river was splendid.This is the first time in almost many years this river has carried so much water (this is wat iam told).By then shashi had also joined us(we called him up n he shunned his plans for this ride)...We cudnt resist the charm of going on a boat ride in the river. So we asked a fisherman to take us on a boat ride. He obviously didn't want to refuse on the easy money he cud make n off we were, onto the boat and on a ride across to the other bank. It was fun to have gone on this ride.
On the way back, plans r already on to make the next ride about which i wud let u know in detail....so cya at the same place(thatz moi blog)...till then cya..:-)
Friday, August 18, 2006
Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna ...This one is not for me
Hi guys, off late I have been watching some movies which were projected as Mega blockbusters of this decade by the media. Omkara was dished out a 4 star rating(on a scale of 5 ) n then Karan Johar directed venture Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna was rated as 3.
With all due respect to hardcore shahrukh/abhishek/rani/priety fans.....this one isn't even worth watching. Again the views presented here are subjective . If u r very emotional, believe in ultimate exaggeration,a die hard romantic,very very mushy.....then may be there r chances that u might ...(i repeat u might!!!) disagree with me. But certainly this one isn't worth the moolah.
Abhishek Bacchhan , although a powerhouse when it comes to enacting emotions has been completely wasted in the movie. Shahrukh has been in his stereo typical best. One thing i must say he has been consistent with it.I wonder how he doesnt get bored of doing the same thing again n again. This speaks volumes of his acting ability n i agree that he is a director's actor. It cud have easily been a decent narrative had Mr. Karan not involved so many stars n then using them to i guess less than 50 % of their potential.
All said n done ... I didnt expect such a multistarrer would turn out to be such a damp squib. Lets see whether Mr. Shahrukh turns it around in a different genre with Farhan Akhtar's Don. I hope he does.
With all due respect to hardcore shahrukh/abhishek/rani/priety fans.....this one isn't even worth watching. Again the views presented here are subjective . If u r very emotional, believe in ultimate exaggeration,a die hard romantic,very very mushy.....then may be there r chances that u might ...(i repeat u might!!!) disagree with me. But certainly this one isn't worth the moolah.
Abhishek Bacchhan , although a powerhouse when it comes to enacting emotions has been completely wasted in the movie. Shahrukh has been in his stereo typical best. One thing i must say he has been consistent with it.I wonder how he doesnt get bored of doing the same thing again n again. This speaks volumes of his acting ability n i agree that he is a director's actor. It cud have easily been a decent narrative had Mr. Karan not involved so many stars n then using them to i guess less than 50 % of their potential.
All said n done ... I didnt expect such a multistarrer would turn out to be such a damp squib. Lets see whether Mr. Shahrukh turns it around in a different genre with Farhan Akhtar's Don. I hope he does.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Omkara....( never gonna see anything like that..)
Hi bloggie,
After all the hype bout my application process/transcripts i would love to let you know that iam still quite a few weeks away from apping.So as an after thought decided to catch up on the just released film "omkara".
Decision was based on 2 facts-- hype by media giving it 4 star rating,ajay devgan acting in it.
I think i should refrain from watching any of the shakespear's famous tragedies.The movies based on it are extremely slow paced and at the end of it i have a splitting headache. Sorry guys (who r big shakespear fans) i appreciate the effort with which the actors have devoted their energies to the project but i think its simply not my cup of tea to wade thru 2.5 hrs watching omi...(othello) doubting dolly (desdemona).
One thing though that has been outstanding is the way saif has done justice to the role. Brilliant acting i must say. He got into the skin of the character well and was simply fantabulous.
But all said and done ...it doesnt deserve a rating of 4 on the scale of 5. Maybe i will put it at 2 .
After all the hype bout my application process/transcripts i would love to let you know that iam still quite a few weeks away from apping.So as an after thought decided to catch up on the just released film "omkara".
Decision was based on 2 facts-- hype by media giving it 4 star rating,ajay devgan acting in it.
I think i should refrain from watching any of the shakespear's famous tragedies.The movies based on it are extremely slow paced and at the end of it i have a splitting headache. Sorry guys (who r big shakespear fans) i appreciate the effort with which the actors have devoted their energies to the project but i think its simply not my cup of tea to wade thru 2.5 hrs watching omi...(othello) doubting dolly (desdemona).
One thing though that has been outstanding is the way saif has done justice to the role. Brilliant acting i must say. He got into the skin of the character well and was simply fantabulous.
But all said and done ...it doesnt deserve a rating of 4 on the scale of 5. Maybe i will put it at 2 .
Monday, July 24, 2006
Shifting a Gear
There are days when one generally feels motivated and generally charged up. This i feel is one of those days. But i hope i can maintain this new found drive.
First of all, i need to start my appin process as the essays for various schools have already been put up and i havent even started anything as of now. Have been bugging navin time n again n he has been patient enough to understand my follow ups. I dunno when i will be able to get in touch with amol. He is also under tremendous pressure since he has just been working for a few months and will require time to settle in. Though wud be requiring his help in many ways. Help Amol !!!!!!
Lets c how far i go through in my endeavour. But bloggie u might be wondering wat has been the driver for this excessive urgency??? Its partly fuelled by the recent resignations in my office . My batch MTs have resigned. So i guess peer pressure is finally catching up .......
First of all, i need to start my appin process as the essays for various schools have already been put up and i havent even started anything as of now. Have been bugging navin time n again n he has been patient enough to understand my follow ups. I dunno when i will be able to get in touch with amol. He is also under tremendous pressure since he has just been working for a few months and will require time to settle in. Though wud be requiring his help in many ways. Help Amol !!!!!!
Lets c how far i go through in my endeavour. But bloggie u might be wondering wat has been the driver for this excessive urgency??? Its partly fuelled by the recent resignations in my office . My batch MTs have resigned. So i guess peer pressure is finally catching up .......
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Query
Many of us look upto elders to solve our seemingly innocuous queries. I still remember myself being a kid and always askin the silliest of silly questions. I never took into account (obviously as a 4 year old ,one is not supposed to analyze anything !!!) that my so called simple questions would stump the wise old men (because it was way too silly for them to answer).
All this story came back flooding to my mind BECAUSE....... yesterday a 4 year old asked me a simple question.....i'll put it in his words " Uncle ( stumbling...n falling on the ground....) Uncle....
can u tell me where does the SUN go after it sets"........
For 2 mins....i was stunned....obviously i cannot give him scientific gyaan. So how to put into a format which this sweet lil kid will understand?
An impulsive response from me is stated below-
"Like your daddy goes to work every morning and requires some rest after a tiring day,Sun also provides u light the whole day and hence is tired . So it goes to sleep so that it is fresh again the next morning.... "
Dunno where that response came from. But one thing was sure.....the simplest of questions can be so difficult sometime, to answer.Thanx Prasoon (4 year old's name) .... to make me realise that.
All this story came back flooding to my mind BECAUSE....... yesterday a 4 year old asked me a simple question.....i'll put it in his words " Uncle ( stumbling...n falling on the ground....) Uncle....
can u tell me where does the SUN go after it sets"........
For 2 mins....i was stunned....obviously i cannot give him scientific gyaan. So how to put into a format which this sweet lil kid will understand?
An impulsive response from me is stated below-
"Like your daddy goes to work every morning and requires some rest after a tiring day,Sun also provides u light the whole day and hence is tired . So it goes to sleep so that it is fresh again the next morning.... "
Dunno where that response came from. But one thing was sure.....the simplest of questions can be so difficult sometime, to answer.Thanx Prasoon (4 year old's name) .... to make me realise that.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Opal Mehta......rocks
I haven't been able to put down anything for the past month although my life has flipped almost 180 degrees during this span. More on that will be an elborate post with some literary fireworks in it.
Just today finished reading "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed,Got Wild and Got a Life" by Kaavya Vishwanathan. An awesome read i must say. The narration begins by depicting how a young geeky gal falters on her admission interview @ HARVARD . Dean is actually impressed by her academic brilliance but somehow feels opal is a misfit on the social scene. So he asks her to apply again after 6 months.
What follows is sheer madness with Opal n her folks planning n plotting to make the "Geeky"
Opal into one of the Hottest chicks on Woodcliff high. .......n then the interview.... (rest....i guess u'll know once u finish the entire book....:-) )
The most important thing that i got from this one is that some where beneath the burden of my goals and ambitions , i have lost out on doing what i enjoy the most. In this regimented lifestyle that i have been boasting about for quite some time now,i have ignored those tiny moments of joy which i should have treasured.
Once you are through with this book,you come to know really what Dean Anderson meant when he said "Opal get a life" .
Just today finished reading "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed,Got Wild and Got a Life" by Kaavya Vishwanathan. An awesome read i must say. The narration begins by depicting how a young geeky gal falters on her admission interview @ HARVARD . Dean is actually impressed by her academic brilliance but somehow feels opal is a misfit on the social scene. So he asks her to apply again after 6 months.
What follows is sheer madness with Opal n her folks planning n plotting to make the "Geeky"
Opal into one of the Hottest chicks on Woodcliff high. .......n then the interview.... (rest....i guess u'll know once u finish the entire book....:-) )
The most important thing that i got from this one is that some where beneath the burden of my goals and ambitions , i have lost out on doing what i enjoy the most. In this regimented lifestyle that i have been boasting about for quite some time now,i have ignored those tiny moments of joy which i should have treasured.
Once you are through with this book,you come to know really what Dean Anderson meant when he said "Opal get a life" .
Sunday, May 21, 2006
No Sense better than Common sense
I had .....(u'll know y i used the word "had" ) respected this term called "common sense" since ages. But some of the incidents which my pal had to go through (n i was a party to all the fun too ...) has left me n my "common sense" in an appalling state.....Here is the reason y...
Last week me n my pal were sitting in Barista sipping the cooolest.....( read that as the cheapest) drinks on the menu. My friend ...... was expecting to take his gal out on shopping after he was done with the " Instant bru".
Scene 1:- Her highness appears (45 min late...which is pretty usual) .
Gal (Her Majesty G) :- Hi Guys......i think i didnt get time to put on my eyeliner becos of u. See inorder to be on time i had to leave my eyes as it is. See how bad this looks......
My Pal (MP) ( trying to use common sense n praise his gal ):- Hi Cynthia, u r looking absolutely fine. (After thinking a lot) ......I wonder how (sweet ) u wud look after putting those eyeliners on .......(HH conviniently thought that his tone wud be assumed as one filled with praise which actually was n thought that he wud be showered with affection)
G:- What do u mean by how i wud look??
We realised that point he uttered with such mushy overtones to it, was not understood......n hence His Highness went into a panic mode n activated disaster control mechanism that was worse than what was activated by Municipal Corporation when Mumbai was flooded......
:-))
MP:- I obviously meant u wud look great. Ask Prasad If u want to.
P:- Yeah He obviously meant the same.....(cudn't stop laughing).
G:- When was it obvious? U guys have this BIG PROBLEM...... u aint clear about anything.....blah blah......(all this reminded me of how in an ad for a toothpaste(pepsodent) the Mom wud blast his son for apparently no fault of his ).
After this, there was a pause in the shelling from across the border.I thought as shopping was
their agenda lets try n escape myself out from it n go home n chill ....so taking the cue...
P :- Cynthia, chill....u have to shop n MP wont have the time after tomorrow as hes gonna go onsite. So better hurry up.
G:- Yeah, see how U GUYS......almost messed up the evening.
(I was like hello..........u r late , u blast ur guy in front of ppl , i suggest a way out n wats the
result......... we get the spanking for the delay....)
Now as we started to leave......G has this cutie pie friend who enters n greets her. Obviously MP
says a polite hi n goes around talking crap about how her exams went etc etc...... while i
didnt know her much so gave a smile n said hi(envied MP for just picking up stale talk with cutie pie n G). She talked for a while mostly bout stuff that
didnt even remotely bother any aspect of my life ( how can embroidary on someone's saree be of
any interest to me) But MP trying to salvage lost pride tried some damage control by contributing his bits n pieces like....."The embroidery is fine but if it wud have been done this way it wud have been perfect" as if he was wearing sarees from childhood.
Cutie pie leaves in a while . N see the scene that unfolds. Never imagined that me keeping quiet (which is seldom) wud do so much good to enhance my already maligned reputation..... :)))
Scene 2:-
G:- (to MP)--- It was amazing to know that u know about embroidery???
MP:-(To G)---- Actually Prasad used to tell me bout it cos he knows a lot about it from his experience ...
at this point i was startled....never in my entire 23 years of existence tried to acquire any
knowledge about the stuff MP was talking.
G:- Oh so u learnt it from him? But cudnt u learn something bout maintaining some silence? All
the while when u were talking u seemed to be faking it all? U were giving her more attention.(i realised this was the issue that was central to the bashing which was to follow) Everytime i tried to stop u , u simply wudnt. Y dont u understand? Pls gimme a break y cant u USE UR COMMON SENSE....?
MP:- But thats wat i was using till now......(still not realising the gravity of the situation)
G:- Then Pls do me a favour.....whenever u r with me.....leave ur common sense at home. I
think in ur case No Sense is Better than Common Sense....n she stormed out of barista.
Conclusion:= I dunno whether wat MP did was rite or wrong but wat i have realised is that....
This saying "No sense is better than Common Sense " wud come in handy next time
someone ( read that as maybe/most probably me ) faces a situation like my dear pal MP.
Last week me n my pal were sitting in Barista sipping the cooolest.....( read that as the cheapest) drinks on the menu. My friend ...... was expecting to take his gal out on shopping after he was done with the " Instant bru".
Scene 1:- Her highness appears (45 min late...which is pretty usual) .
Gal (Her Majesty G) :- Hi Guys......i think i didnt get time to put on my eyeliner becos of u. See inorder to be on time i had to leave my eyes as it is. See how bad this looks......
My Pal (MP) ( trying to use common sense n praise his gal ):- Hi Cynthia, u r looking absolutely fine. (After thinking a lot) ......I wonder how (sweet ) u wud look after putting those eyeliners on .......(HH conviniently thought that his tone wud be assumed as one filled with praise which actually was n thought that he wud be showered with affection)
G:- What do u mean by how i wud look??
We realised that point he uttered with such mushy overtones to it, was not understood......n hence His Highness went into a panic mode n activated disaster control mechanism that was worse than what was activated by Municipal Corporation when Mumbai was flooded......
:-))
MP:- I obviously meant u wud look great. Ask Prasad If u want to.
P:- Yeah He obviously meant the same.....(cudn't stop laughing).
G:- When was it obvious? U guys have this BIG PROBLEM...... u aint clear about anything.....blah blah......(all this reminded me of how in an ad for a toothpaste(pepsodent) the Mom wud blast his son for apparently no fault of his ).
After this, there was a pause in the shelling from across the border.I thought as shopping was
their agenda lets try n escape myself out from it n go home n chill ....so taking the cue...
P :- Cynthia, chill....u have to shop n MP wont have the time after tomorrow as hes gonna go onsite. So better hurry up.
G:- Yeah, see how U GUYS......almost messed up the evening.
(I was like hello..........u r late , u blast ur guy in front of ppl , i suggest a way out n wats the
result......... we get the spanking for the delay....)
Now as we started to leave......G has this cutie pie friend who enters n greets her. Obviously MP
says a polite hi n goes around talking crap about how her exams went etc etc...... while i
didnt know her much so gave a smile n said hi(envied MP for just picking up stale talk with cutie pie n G). She talked for a while mostly bout stuff that
didnt even remotely bother any aspect of my life ( how can embroidary on someone's saree be of
any interest to me) But MP trying to salvage lost pride tried some damage control by contributing his bits n pieces like....."The embroidery is fine but if it wud have been done this way it wud have been perfect" as if he was wearing sarees from childhood.
Cutie pie leaves in a while . N see the scene that unfolds. Never imagined that me keeping quiet (which is seldom) wud do so much good to enhance my already maligned reputation..... :)))
Scene 2:-
G:- (to MP)--- It was amazing to know that u know about embroidery???
MP:-(To G)---- Actually Prasad used to tell me bout it cos he knows a lot about it from his experience ...
at this point i was startled....never in my entire 23 years of existence tried to acquire any
knowledge about the stuff MP was talking.
G:- Oh so u learnt it from him? But cudnt u learn something bout maintaining some silence? All
the while when u were talking u seemed to be faking it all? U were giving her more attention.(i realised this was the issue that was central to the bashing which was to follow) Everytime i tried to stop u , u simply wudnt. Y dont u understand? Pls gimme a break y cant u USE UR COMMON SENSE....?
MP:- But thats wat i was using till now......(still not realising the gravity of the situation)
G:- Then Pls do me a favour.....whenever u r with me.....leave ur common sense at home. I
think in ur case No Sense is Better than Common Sense....n she stormed out of barista.
Conclusion:= I dunno whether wat MP did was rite or wrong but wat i have realised is that....
This saying "No sense is better than Common Sense " wud come in handy next time
someone ( read that as maybe/most probably me ) faces a situation like my dear pal MP.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Bed of Roses
When i was in school , every one cheered me on ....saying just do well in first grade.......after that u can enjoy. But as soon as i landed in second grade ,i realised that i was wrong n life just got a wee bit tough as compared to the previous year . Then someone patted my back n said ....dude u r a second grader now .......study hard till u r thru ur 10th grade.After that life will simply rock!!!
Immediately the thought came ,....slog now n party later...n off i was on a rigorous ordeal thru the high school life .All with the sole motive which my school chum had ingrained in my head "study hard till u r thru ur 10th grade.After that life will simply rock!!!"
10th grade came n went (as the previous years) and the results were out. Got into a good course in a good college....n was waiting for my life to be a party. Then came the party popper prof @ college(11th grade) who sounded like he had just been elected the pope. He thundered " U have just started to climb the steps as far as ur academics is concerned. From here on ur life will be decided by wat courses u major in
and wat u achieve after ur 12th grade.Do well in 12th n u will comfortable all thru ur life"
My reaction to this "Son Of A B#$CH.....where was he screwing around when i was in 2nd grade atleast if i wud have known that the 12th grade was the be all n end all atleast i wud have enjoyed my life in school". So i shrugged-"Nevermind . Do well for 2 years n then life is a bigger n better party than i previously thought".
Off again i went, drudging along on a journey called life n periodically(rather always) dreaming bout a life filled with comforts. 12th grade results came.....was awesome .....garnered the required magic number for getting an admit into a good school that offered a great career prospect after my graduation. Life was like a bed of roses filled with all the happiness i cud ever think of. But just as my ship was about to sail......i was cautioned by an old man (or was he The Devil's Advocate?? ) ..."Son, u have now joined the bandwagon of men & women with great intellectual capabilities but for u to find success & happiness similar to them u'll have to slog . Just put in all u have got for 4 years. Get that graduation degree n off u go on an expressway to glory".
Irritated by now i remembered my school chum n his golden words "study hard till u r thru ur 10th grade.After that life will simply rock!!!" .At this moment i just wanted to bash him up. But by then this school chum of mine was already living in san jose n doing his undergrads(n all this after spending an enjoyable(read as a very very very comfortable) high school /10+2 years)
Resuming my journey and with a somewhat hesistant determination (wat a phrase!!! i dunno where that came from......) and crushing all those dreams bout life being a bed of roses, cleared all the courses n at the end of 4 years managed to bag a job with a firm that reached out to all budding engineers with the slogan "ABB comes home...leader in power/automation technology".
At this moment ,there was a slight glimpse of the bed of roses i was seeking...did party hard during the final year . Had a bunch of friends who cared a lot and were always there when i needed them the most. This was akin to culmination of a sweet recepie ....or was it?
Cautiously(due to my previous experience) saw thru the first year @ my job which was the most amazing time ever in my life...went thru the drills of corporate life ...n almost got that impeccable "been there done that" kinda attitude. Anything in my life needs to be fixed? naaaah u must be kidding.....life has never been so good....(atleast thats wat i thought till i entered the second year in my job) untill my bosses' discourse decided to put me back thru where i began.
The Gentleman said " Son , wat u see is not wat it seems. It has taken me 22 years to rise up to wat iam today . I was under this influence that once i get a job my future wud be very bright..........but son i dont want u to commit the same mistake which i did. Just get a post graduate degree n u will be on a path unmatched by anyone ." n i cud never forget his parting remark till date ...."After u get ur PG degree , trust me,Life wud be a bed of roses"........
Immediately the thought came ,....slog now n party later...n off i was on a rigorous ordeal thru the high school life .All with the sole motive which my school chum had ingrained in my head "study hard till u r thru ur 10th grade.After that life will simply rock!!!"
10th grade came n went (as the previous years) and the results were out. Got into a good course in a good college....n was waiting for my life to be a party. Then came the party popper prof @ college(11th grade) who sounded like he had just been elected the pope. He thundered " U have just started to climb the steps as far as ur academics is concerned. From here on ur life will be decided by wat courses u major in
and wat u achieve after ur 12th grade.Do well in 12th n u will comfortable all thru ur life"
My reaction to this "Son Of A B#$CH.....where was he screwing around when i was in 2nd grade atleast if i wud have known that the 12th grade was the be all n end all atleast i wud have enjoyed my life in school". So i shrugged-"Nevermind . Do well for 2 years n then life is a bigger n better party than i previously thought".
Off again i went, drudging along on a journey called life n periodically(rather always) dreaming bout a life filled with comforts. 12th grade results came.....was awesome .....garnered the required magic number for getting an admit into a good school that offered a great career prospect after my graduation. Life was like a bed of roses filled with all the happiness i cud ever think of. But just as my ship was about to sail......i was cautioned by an old man (or was he The Devil's Advocate?? ) ..."Son, u have now joined the bandwagon of men & women with great intellectual capabilities but for u to find success & happiness similar to them u'll have to slog . Just put in all u have got for 4 years. Get that graduation degree n off u go on an expressway to glory".
Irritated by now i remembered my school chum n his golden words "study hard till u r thru ur 10th grade.After that life will simply rock!!!" .At this moment i just wanted to bash him up. But by then this school chum of mine was already living in san jose n doing his undergrads(n all this after spending an enjoyable(read as a very very very comfortable) high school /10+2 years)
Resuming my journey and with a somewhat hesistant determination (wat a phrase!!! i dunno where that came from......) and crushing all those dreams bout life being a bed of roses, cleared all the courses n at the end of 4 years managed to bag a job with a firm that reached out to all budding engineers with the slogan "ABB comes home...leader in power/automation technology".
At this moment ,there was a slight glimpse of the bed of roses i was seeking...did party hard during the final year . Had a bunch of friends who cared a lot and were always there when i needed them the most. This was akin to culmination of a sweet recepie ....or was it?
Cautiously(due to my previous experience) saw thru the first year @ my job which was the most amazing time ever in my life...went thru the drills of corporate life ...n almost got that impeccable "been there done that" kinda attitude. Anything in my life needs to be fixed? naaaah u must be kidding.....life has never been so good....(atleast thats wat i thought till i entered the second year in my job) untill my bosses' discourse decided to put me back thru where i began.
The Gentleman said " Son , wat u see is not wat it seems. It has taken me 22 years to rise up to wat iam today . I was under this influence that once i get a job my future wud be very bright..........but son i dont want u to commit the same mistake which i did. Just get a post graduate degree n u will be on a path unmatched by anyone ." n i cud never forget his parting remark till date ...."After u get ur PG degree , trust me,Life wud be a bed of roses"........
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