there is a song for every occasion

I finished reading "Anything for you ma'm" by Tushar Raheja a couple of days back. I liked the book because it is a simple and nice read. I picked up one idea from the book and that is 'there is a song for every occasion...' Indeed it is the case in my life too. Some of these songs got hard-coded in my memory. These are songs that remind me of some of the most special moments of my life. Every time I hear them now, they remind me of a time that is preserved well in my memories. Here is a compilation of some of those gems.

1. Heaven by Bryan Adams: I first heard this song in one of the meeting cum parties during Rotaract Club (of RVCE) days. It just stuck to my mind for weeks. It's a reminder for me today of the golden days of my college life. I owe a lot of the time that I spent there in the company of my Rotaract gang. It's my dedication to the same.

2. Free falling by Tom Petty: My first venture into adventure. Bungee jumping in Bangalore. I did not know how it would feel before I jumped. I climbed the stage, released my hand, bent forward and told the volunteer to release me. There was a free fall and before I could realize anything I was hanging from a rope. The adrenaline rush was over in just 5-10 seconds. Still throughout this experience there was one song that kept playing inside me. Free Falling indeed was the song for this occasion.

3. Pal by KK: Well, this one is not difficult to imagine. For every single person who has gone through a college or hostel farewell, this is the song. It makes you smile; it brings tears in your eyes. It's a song that you will singalong with your friends no matter how bad a singer you are. It's my memories of the farewell from Indore, RVCE, Bangalore, IIMA and don't know how many other such occasions.

4. Clock by Coldplay & Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve - Those were the days when Joyesh blessed us with his company. Endless loops and piles of clothes in the room. Joyesh sitting on top of everything. These are some moments you have to experience to really enjoy them. I was really lucky enough to have them. I really mean it.

5. All good things come to an end by Nelly Furtardo - This was the only song that was playing in my mind when I boarded the Lufthansa flight for Mumbai at Paris Airport.EuroTrip is an unforgettable part of my life. It came to an end that day. I can and will go to Europ again. But it will be never be the same.

6. Ain't no mountain high enough - Aditya got us addicted to the movie Remember the Titans. This song from the soundtrack of the movie will always play whenever I think of the monster of the computer monitor that Aditya had in hostel and where we had our share of many Hollywood classics.

7. Havana by Kenny G - They had come as exchange student to RVCE. One of those Chinese student practiced for this song the whole night when we were fighting rains to get venue for Vybhav ready. We actually pulled it off. So did that guy who played the song with unmatchable enthusiasm on the Vybhav stage. That Vybhav was an experience in itself. Thank God we did it. And we really did it well.

Continues...

Endless Loop

Joyesh, my neighbor in RVCE hostel and then later room mate at the-hangar, has a peculiar habit of putting one song in his media player play-list and playing it in loop for days and nights.From Clocks to Bitter Sweet Symphony, we heard a variety of songs. And we liked them. I started liking them. It's one peculiar thing about music for me. If I hear some song again and again, I end up liking it in most cases. It's the effort to listen to something repetitively, that defines my song selection.

Endless loops defined my music choice. And now I am part of an endless loop. Of highs and lows. 'Such is life,' anybody would say. Stuck in an endless travel is a life full of choices. Every decision I am making is having a long term implication now. How and when it became like this? I was never needed to bother when I bunked my school for a day or two. I decided to runaway from home and landed in Bangalore to do my engineering. Nobody asked me anything. And I did not bother anyone.

Today when I look around, I see a web of restrictions holding me hostage in a world of limitations. A world where my choices are not just mine. Atleast their implications are not. I cannot remain isolated too. I am stuck. Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' is what I can think of now. Incidentally that song got added to my list because of an endless loop too.

Suggest A Book

Results for Suggest a Book poll done through FB status msg.

Hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world by Haruki Murakami

Any book by Haruki Murakami

The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor

Blue Ocean Strategy :D

The Bhagwat Gita By Eknath Esawaran

Tamil Pulp Fiction by Rakesh Khanna and Pritham K. Chakravarthy

Picture of Dorian Gray

Marketing Management by Philip Kotler :)

Wheel of Time

The Brothers Karamazov

Krambhadparya (jain fundamental) also available in English or Bhartesh Vaibhav (Epic, 4 vols.)

IIMA Famous 'Black Book' :)

To kill a mockingbird

The Immortals of Meluha

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

-----
Thanks Yash, Komal, Piyush, Modh, Anoop, Sapta, Poorva, Pradeep, Arpit, Paul, Richa, Shelly, Surabhi, Prasanjit, Balakrishna, Shubendu...

Little Moments

Traveling across length of the country to attend precious moments in life of people who are precious to you.

Getting high on hukkah when others around you are sloshed in alcohol.

The feeling of going home after a long time.

Reading a funny love story because she wants you to do that.

A brilliantly designed and executed personalized tshirt.

Buying chocolates for her whenever wherever you can.

Spending a night with friends remembering college days.

Admiring beauty of nature and the air hostess in the indigo flight.

Listening to your favorite music whenever wherever you want to.

Stretching your physical, emotional and mental limits to do everything possible to live such moments again and again.

Life is beautiful.

With its Little Moments of Joy.

Happy Diwali

I saw a couple of kids painting a house. My first reaction was of pity. Child Labor is a rampant phenomenon in most of the markets I visit. But then when I looked at them closely, I realized my mistake. They were painting their own house. They were preparing for the festival celebrations.

Last Sunday, everyone at my home was also on a cleaning mission too. Next step would have been to prepare sweets. My mom did not tell me about it. Festivals are no big fun if the children are not back home. The conversation with mom clearly highlighted this feeling. I was still thinking what will I be doing during festival time. I can not go home. Not that I am forced to be here, but somehow I have to make this choice. A difficult choice indeed. It's been long since I have celebrated any festival at home. So it should not have been such a big deal. But somehow I am feeling that this one indeed is a big deal.

I have to make sure that I do something worth the harshness of the decision I have taken. Looking for suggestions. Anyone?

Fix You by Coldplay

When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.

Just follow your heart

Continuing from Enter at your own risk

Dreamers and revolutionaries have one thing in common - they think from their heart. It gives wings to their aspirations. This is what defines them and differentiates their lives and existence from millions others who live on this planet. If heart rules their dreams, it also rules their actions. This aspect can be dangerous at times and has been the prime reason for fall of many. Emotions are those drugs which can make you do unimaginable tasks but can be harmful in a long run. It's the price we pay for the adrenaline rush that comes when swimming against the current.

He found himself in the same trap.

Continued...

Enter at your own risk

"Enter at your own risk," read the warning sign at the entrance of the hallway. It would have deterred others; but he was not like the others. For him the sight of the word 'risk' was an invitation. Kids like him generally do not stick to common sense. Some might think of them as arrogant youngsters who enjoy defying age old wisdom. Old is gold; and it is the age of silicon.

So he entered and was surprised to find that he was not alone. Of course, he was not to be alone. There were many like him. They all belonged to a generation that saw the light of life around Emergency time. They had grown up listening to Floyd, seeing Sachin making history, enjoying LOTR and Harry Potter on big screen and of-course facebooking and tweeting their heart out.

It was going to be exciting for sure. And he had company to share his thrill with. Existence of so many like him was a proof that he was not an outlier. He was not looking for any such approval though.

The Captain of the ship painted a rosy picture of things to come. They all had crossed the first hurdle and there was no need of any more warnings. He geared them up with all the possible ammunition and let the engine roar. The ship of their life was sailing now. Their fortunes and life attached to each other. They had imagined this moment many a times.

continued...

Year of Marriages

GMBC inc. had declared the year 2010 as the 'Year of Marriages'. The nomenclature is pretty much self explanatory. However, fortunately or unfortunately, we seem to have chosen a very ambitious target. It is certain now that we will have to stretch some deadlines. Managers we are and will always be. Sticking to time lines is not our cup of tea.

However, for me, this tenth year in the new millennium is still turning out to be a year of marriages. Everybody seem to be in hurry to lose his/her single status. So much so that the joke is that I cannot seem to find a date for my marriage 'coz all of them this year have been already booked by my friends. Winds don't seem to change direction in early months of next year either. 

[Time for a detour to satiate those nagging ones amongst you who, like my mom, have troubled me a lot with the question about my marriage.
Guys and gals,
This is to certify that this post is intended just for general discussion and has no mention or discussion about any probable dates for my marriage. Anything resembling such a date is purely coincidental.
End of detour]

Such a jam packed schedule brings with it some very practical issues which will put my learnings from engineering and management to good use. Here is just a brief list of the major concerns for me:
1. Resource Allocation: limited amount of leaves need to be distributed in an efficient way to utilize them to the fullest and attend maximum number of marriages for everyone's satisfaction.
2. Shortest Path Algorithm: Remember traveling salesman problem? Well, I am the protagonist today in all literal or practical senses and trying to solve it today when planning my travel arrangements.
3. Resource Sharing: Ethnic and party wear and of course credit cards to extract maximum purchase points and cash back returns.
4. Negotiations: specially with boss for leaves and with everyone else who are still in the planning phase.

But no worries Sumana, Chandu, Manan, Piyush, Sandeep, Ankit, Bora, Manoo, Charlee, Chawla and others who have not yet finalized the dates!! I am going to be there.

Cheers to the Year of Marriages...

Damn...

Damn! It’s been 10 minutes of me trying to write a new entry and still there’s nothing on my notepad!!

Damn!! What was it that I wanted to write on?

Damn!!! I have forgotten the idea for today’s blog :(

Damn!!!! I have been infected with STML (Short Term Memory Loss).

Miss Sonam: You are going to pay for it!

...'I hate love storys' songs playing in background...

50 Starred Mails

Oh My God!!
I just did not realize that I had more 50 starred mails in my inbox. And it was just one of the multiple mailbox that I use at this moment. With at least three active mail ids, two and half active social networking profiles and two mobile connections life is as virtual as it can get. Unending conference calls, infinitely long mail threads and multiple chat windows - that's what makes up my social life now. I am really thankful to the market visits that keep me in touch with reality. Dozens of people whom I meet during these visits, not just get me an insightful view of my business, but also become part of the real life that I live.

I was going through some of the old mails in my mailbox. It brought so many nice memories back. I was involved in so many things then. Many of them very different from what I do today. I have changed. I used to regularly read and write then. My blog was my passion. But somehow it got a little lost in last couple of months. I miss it the most.

I can not describe how self satisfied I felt after posting photos from EuroTrip mini on my facebook profile. I was getting scared that I was losing my touch with my camera. I have not and I have found that passion again. New targets have been set and I have to work hard to achieve them. Passion clearly drives human efforts.
I am looking forward to try new things - new literature, new music, new movies and everything else. Any suggestions are welcome.

Hoping to blog more often and write better again.

Some Memorable Cinema Experiences

In no particular order...

Ajanbee: My first movie after joining RVCE. Our day out with seniors, buying textbooks on Avenue road and then a movie with the gang. Laughing out real loud in hall, random comments and other tp. And yes, we belonged to PESIT then ;) We became the youth of the nation.

Golmal:
Attempt 1 - Bought tickets for 10:00 hours show thinking it was 10pm show. Reached well in time to 10pm show to realize the tickets we had were useless. Show was fullhouse. So we came home cursing i-dont-know-who.
Attempt 2 - Telebooked tickets in innovative multiplex thinking it was inox and reached inox well in time. Inox guy tried hard to explain that they had no telebooking facility. Not again! Luckily this time there were few seats left in the theater so we finally got the chance to see the movie.

Asoka: It was during the first Diwali break after joining RV. A well deserved trip to home. What an adventure it was with a re-routed train, night-long journey in MPSRTC red dabba bus and the unexpectedly chilly night! Movie plan with Arpit against mom's advice (ghar aaye ho to ghar par raho. Movie to bangalore me bhi dekh sakte ho..). And Asoka in Sapna-Sangeeta. Long talks about experience in college and life in general. And to top it up - Asoka theme. This movie is hard coded in my memories now.

Jurasic Park: Ashok talkies in Khandwa. Purnima mausi had recommended us the movie. Most probably the first english movie that I had watched. Mausi said 'it's a must watch'. The hype of it having scenes where they have shot the one helicopter from another above it, was just too much for us. And then ofcourse it had Dinosourous. New craze was to remember names of the varieties of them. T-Rex the dude rocked the most.

 I hate love storys: First and most probably the last movie I watched alone in Hubli. No multiplex. Old type single screen theater. Damn! I was actually scared that some cockroach might pop up from below the seat and spoil my movie experience. Very nice movie. Loved the characters. And ofcourse I love Sonam. :)

Pyar kiya to darna kya: First movie that I watched after moving to Indore. It was shot in Daily College Indore. So there was a strange attachment that I felt for the movie. Sapna-Sangeeta was an experience in itself.

Ham Aapke Hai Kaun: I don't recall the first time I watched this movie. But the second was a screening for Jain Social Group in Abhishek talkies, Khandwa. Lots of samosas and pepsi to enjoy and majaak-masti throughout the movie. We watched this movie once more in Rajmandir cinema in Jaipur. Ofcourse this time the idea was to visit Rajmandir theater. Movie was secondary. Grand and beautiful theater. I actually dozed of in the movie. Was it the movie or the AC in the hall that did the trick?

Housefull: first experience in Mumbai. After an evening out with Sonam. One of the longest auto ride of my life. Reaching the theater late and then realizing my friends who were supposed to have booked the tickets had not done so. And they were running even late. To buy tickets or not to buy. Finally they arrived. Bought tickets and ran towards the screen picking up a bag of someone else thinking it was ours. Thank god, he took it sportingly. What crap of a movie. I actually updated my facebook from the theater advicing everyone to avoid it.
Alas that was not the end of it. And I had to watch it for the second time with GMBC gurgaon chapter. My first day in Gurgaon. Jet lag or whatever it was. And the late night show at 11:20pm. A total of 12 people in the hall. While they laughed their heart out in the movie, I snored at my best. :)
And if you thought that it was over?? Well I saw it again during my flight from Delhi to Helsinki. :D

Some random murder mystery: In Mangalore. What better movie to be the first movie that I watched with my future wife. So romantic. It did bring her closer to me, I must say. Oh yea, I had one friend of mine to accompany us too. :)

Avatar: GMBC Inc out in the wild. I just don't need any more words to describe it.

Mangal Pandey: PVR. Advance booked. Front row seats. What a disaster it was! Adi's face was worth watching.

continues...

My Music

My new laptop does not have my music. Music that I have grown listening to. Music that has been part of my life for so long. I realized it today that it has been a big mistake on my part. Music keeps you going. It's the link between the different phases of life that you are going through. Today when I listened to AICHA by Outlandish, I realized what I have been missing. It brought so many good memories with it. So nice and so easy way to go back to the old times. I am liking it.

So all you Coldplay, Enya, Rahman, Karunesh, Lucky Ali, Oliver Shanti, Indian Ocean songs on my old laptop, you are coming back to life.

We are going to rock it again.

Like ever.

7 deadly sins

You know that you need a new kick in life (and/or need one kick from life) when...
1. You get up in the morning and think about 'what should I do today?'
2. Facebook becomes your companion for the day. You try many a times to signoff but and log in again after 10 mins.
3. You watch Ham Saath Saath Hai on Zee Cinema.
4. You have thought about calling so many people, called them too. But then you realize that you don't really have anything specific to talk about.
5. You keep checking google talk window to see if there is somebody whom you can talk to or ping and actually have some conversation.
6. You get bored of Ham Saath Saath Hai and switch to Singh is King on Star Gold.
7. You think of many topics for writing something meaningful and end up writing crap on your boring Sunday.

my todo list

Everyday I meet people who are optimistic, people who are pessimist and people who are brilliant in hiding their attitude towards life and business. I wouldn't be honest if I don't admit that they affect my attitude too. May be just for a moment, but they do influence my thought process. Compiling all these good bad and ugly thoughts and coming out with a clear outlook for life and business is my most important task. Rest of the things will just follow. This is my learning objective for now.

I am sure that all these learnings are applicable to my personal life also.

I watched Enemy at the gates last night. Brilliant movie. 'Give them hope' - that's what I take back home from this movie. Hope - it strikes a chord with our aspiration and attitudes. It's a pill of optimism that can bring back life in deads. I want to work on aspiration of people I can influence. Their future lies in it. Our future lies in it. That's the second point on my agenda.

I am so happy today that atleast I have started writing something on the clean slate that I am.

I am high on life

I am high on my life with my friends. Do I need more? More of what? friends? Or such highs? Or the life herself?

I am clueless.

I am living in Nolan's world and I am not sure if my totem is actually working. Lots of elements of what I consider my life, feel like a dream today. Engineering days, my first job at Riverstone, life at WIMWI, EuroTrip, the magic moments - some of those colorful threads that keep me attached to myself. I am on a constant pursuit to relive these moments in any which way I can. I am traveling hundreds of kms every weekend to go back to Bangalore. But that's not enough. I miss those night chai and bakar sessions in Gurgaon. I want to go to campus to attend TNite, want to take a long walk on that road to ESCP Paris and what not.  The list will go on indefinitely. Today as I write this post, I realize that there is so much in my past that I want to bring back to present. Those will be my 'dreams come true' moments in a sense.

Why am I not looking in future?

Karnataka - One State Many Words

'Karnataka - One State Many Worlds' reads the Karnataka tourism department's logo. Just two weeks into my sales stint here and I can vouch for this. And I can do that in multiple ways.

I am doing rounds to lots of rural places (upcountry as we fondly call them) these days. As I see them, each market comes out as a unique one in its own way. Be the brands that operate there, the way retailers do their business or eventually the way people make purchase decision - things change from one place to another. However, not all these differences are very prominent. Subtle nuances of consumer's behavior can be sensed only if you speak her language. Translations are hardly as good a replica of thoughts and feelings as the words spoken from heart in heart's language. So even though I am not really bound in the language barrier, I still feel a little distance. Damn! I had spent seven precious years in this state but still did not learn the language. I hope these six months don't go waste on that front.

The geography of land I have visited varies from seashores of Konkan region to rain-rich hills of Malnad region. It's green all along though. Rains do wonder in such terrains. Nature plays a magician if given a chance. Beautiful is the word if I think of whatever I have seen.

I have crossed more than one bird sanctuaries, one elephant training camp, one big man-made dam and its backwater, more than one river rafting sites, wildlife sanctuaries and ofcourse many waterfalls. I must admit Karnataka tourism has done well in identifying these places on its road network. Regular direction boards keep reminding me of things that I can do over the coming weekends. Everyone's invited.

I have not yet faced any issue with food. Dosai and Idli is available everywhere. Though I really find it difficult to adjust to changing taste of sambhar. Yesterday I tried the rice meal in a true localite style. It was nice. Specially 'coz of the satisfaction that I saw on my team's face for having me try the local food. The adventure will continue, I am pretty sure.

Fugly Shirts wale

An IBanker is one of those stereotyped jobs in Indian cinema today. Atleast in the kind of cinema you and I see, he (yes he) has been portrayed on more than one ocassions. Popular Hindi cinema has traditionally almost always shown the riches to be hotshot businessmen. Inheritance has been the rule of the game. Hero, if he was not very poor, never needed to worry about profession as his Dad had built an empire to be inherited by him. Even the profession of poor guy hardly mattered as most of the emotions that Indian Cinema relates to, come outside the boundary of work life. Only in recent time, that the hero has actually become a photographer, a painter, an IBanker and likes.

It's a welcome change. However we are still coping with stereotyping phenomena. Chetan Bhagat and host of other budding 'writers' did it for IIT/IIM graduates. Our directors continued from where these 'writers' have left. Be it Kartik Calling Kartik, Rock On or I Hate Love Storys - there is a hotshot banker/professional at work. Some of them are shown as dork, others still evolving as a person. I just hope they come closer to reality. That's all. This change should be for good.

ps: It's a totally unstructured and incomplete collection of thoughts on this topic of Stereotyping. Hope to write it again some day.

Rocket Singh starts...

Every morning I am greeted by a beautiful view of Hubli from the balcony of my cozy room in one of the most luxurious hotel in the city. I take my time to get ready for the days work. By now I am kind of addicted to the smell and feel of those hand-made soaps and shower gells. Hot water shower does not appear as a luxury anymore. I indulge myself in a sumptuous breakfast buffet sharing the room with many others so-called corporate junta. They carry a neatly folded newspaper in one hand and a smart-phone in the other. Short and crisp talks over a couple of phone calls and they have the day's plan with them. I had seen many of them in the early morning flight that I had taken from Bangalore to reach Hubli by office time. I am in process of becoming like them.

I leave my hotel to reach the market. (Fortunately) Everywhere I go, I am greeted well by people. The attention I get is remarkable. I, sometimes, wonder what makes me different from the people I meet? I lack the market knowledge as well as the skills that they possess. I am an outsider to this place too (atleast for now).

Is that respect really due to me? Or the brand I represent?

For now, it's the brand I represent. It'll take lot of time and unfailing efforts to have some element of me in that reason. And that's why I am here. I am here to learn from them. To build the skills that I lack. To use the knowledge that I have acquired in whatever little time I have tried to understand the business. And life.

Next couple of months will be a repeat of what today has been like. Just that I will meet new people, talk about different things and learn newer skills. The enthusiasm is the key. I know the biggest challenge in front of me and I have to find a way to overcome that.

For now, I settle myself in the confy bed in my air conditioned hotel room. Home was never like this. Homes are not meant to be like this. I miss home, my parents and family. I miss my friends too, howmuchever I am connected to them over phone and facebook. And most of all, I miss the old me. I know this change is for good. I will make it that way. 

PS: I meet so many Rocket Singhs every day in field. The more I meet them, the more I like the movie.

Abe Kaun Si Rassi Pakadu

One more memorable advertisement from monster.com. It's funny specially the way the guy says "abe kaun se rassi pakdu?" Brilliant execution. It sticks to your mind and I have had atleast two people telling me about this advertisement. If I really think of it, the purpose of the ad is solved.

Moving on, this post comes after a long break. A break that even I had not imagined. Sometimes it is difficult to predict which way our life would lead. Induction at the new job has been a good experience. Filled with lots of activities, it was a good chance to meet some of the most inspiring people around in the industry. The onus is totally on me to make best use of this opportunity and do well for the organization as well personally.

Gurgaon - Delhi - Bangalore - Chennai - Sattal - Aligarh : these are some of the places that I touched in last one month or so. I have had a new experience at each place and really look forward to enrich it in my sales stint that starts tomorrow.

I have been 'connected' all this while. It's a strange feeling. I am just a few clicks away from my virtual social world and I know it's a great power. However as the monster.com mentions - 'what is the advantage of so many choices if you cant make use of them,' I am little wary of the power in my hand. The balance is the key as the more social I become the more my life becomes a public matter. I am thinking too much may be.

As I spent the last evening before actually hitting the field, I have a mixed bag of feeling inside me. I am excited and am raring to go and face the challenges. But I also feel a little nervous seeing the things that are coming my way. It's new and I have to start the adjustment process again. I am pretty sure, I will be able to do that pretty soon. Hoping for a great time in Hubli.

It's a fresh start. To many things.

Mitra - My Friend

I met a very old friend of mine yesterday. We were buddies in school days. Then I moved to Indore to finish my schooling while he stayed back in Khandwa. I chose to take the engineering route while he was determined to become a doctor. And a doctor is what he is today. A dentist to be precise. A smartly dressed doctor, that I had imagined him to be after the brief conversations that we had on and off in last 10 or so years. Things don't change much with some people. It was really nice to meet my old buddy.

I also happened to meet couple more old friends in Khandwa. They are what Khandwa was/is to me apart from a hundred of relatives and the millions of childhood memories.

I met another very old and close friend in Indore. If Indore is one of my dream cities, his friendship is a big reason behind it. I have spent some of the most memorable times in Indore in his company. Anything and everything, I can rely on him. And he has always proved that I made the right choice by doing that. Many a times I think, he is what I am not. And I aspire to be like him. I hope that I'll be able to do so some day.

And then there are so many other friends. From school days, college days, work days and the BSchool days - they are part of my formative years. I could keep in touch with many, but still many a links are broken. Even the likes of Facebook and Orkuts cannot help one if it's not in his inherent nature to be in touch with his past. My papa tells me stories from his school days as if they happened just the last weekend. He talks about his friends from school and college. He knows whereabouts of many of them even though they would not have met for years. His friend circle expands in all walks of life from being a big businessman to a bus conductor. It astonishes me how does he do it. There is no facebook or IM in most of his world. Mobile phone is a recent entry too. We still visit even the extended families of some of his friends when we are in their city and find it home. How does it happen that we, in spite of all the so-called favorable tools, cannot do what he has done and continues to do.

I am trying my best to learn from him. And from my friends. Some of them are really good at it. These are my biggest earning from my formative years. And I intend to cherish them all for my entire life.

a countryside affair

Chammach dabao, lagao top, kato, poora kato - these are some new additions to my vocabulary. I picked them up during my driving lessons with the 'seasoned' drivers in this place. I have also gained the 'punya' of having saved life of one hen and one goat. Ofcourse the 'paap' of their murder would have been credited to my account only, if I had not pressed the break in the right time. Overall, it's been a great driving experience so far and I look forward to polish my skills day but day.

Driving on country roads gives you an unique opportunity to see the village life from a close quarter (oh yes, I have graduated from driving on empty grounds to driving on empty roads). House whose entrance stretch right upto the mid of the road (they actually broom that stretch for road twice a day), temporary speed breakers near these entrances that help in marking territory as well making these entrances safe for the inmates, roads whose width is no more than a single lane, fast moving 'gama' and other tempo trax versions, haughty tractors and slowly moving bullock carts, hoards of goats and cows, kids playing on the road, a hundred temples, dargahs and other places of worship and what not.

And there is happiness. Despite the fact that basic amenities like electricity and water is as scarce as it could be. But they don't seem to complain. They are happy to get water every third day. Because last year it was a weekly affair. They have adjusted their time tables to suit power cut schedules. Channels have changed so have the serials that they follow on the TV. CFLs have replaced the traditional bulbs in spite of their high initial cost (sometimes I think CFL should be counted amongst one of the biggest inventions of last quarter of 20th century). Inverters are the way of life for those who can afford it. Others are just happy with 12th hour supply schedule. Narmada project will bring water to these villages - that's the hope. A lot of their future depends on it.

These are new things for me. A newer way to look at things. I still have to visit the tuesday haat bazaar in this place. Will surely have more things to share.

Till then...

TEXT me

I must admit, I am addicted to msging now. To be more specific, to free msging. The credit goes to Docomo (the connection that I used during my brief coming-back-to-life trip in Bangalore). Reliance GSM at home has help me continue from where I had left in Bangalore. So I spam the inbox of some of my friends. Don't blame me of partiality if you have not yet received any msg from me. Thank god that you are lucky enough to be 'not the chosen one'. I spam with crazy msgs from drab good morning and good night wishes to what my mom has cookEd for lunch. Some silly forwards, some borrowed quotes from novels I am reading and other news items from the morning news-paper.

In between all those, I think, I am trying to relive a life that I have always longed for. A happy go lucky existence that stretched somewhere in between the unlimited dreams that I have imagined as my life to be. It's a world of care-free living.

And I am really happy to admit that it has worked. It has helped me do the best with the time in my hand. I have caught up with many of my old friends, shared lots of nice moments. I've learnt a lot deal about many a things in life. And ofcourse my 'frustration' levels have come down too. I can be found keying in awkwardly on my MotoRazr keypad continuously is a proof of that experience. I hope to continue doing the same for as long as I can. :-)

If you have the guts, drop me a mail with your mobile numbers and get ready for the spam.

Time for the good evening round of msgs. ;-)

ps: the idea to start blogging again was also a result of this spamming. My dear friend got so bugged of my msgs that she suggested me to blog again to keep myself busy. :-)

April Showers and August Rush

Bangalore is really rocking at this point of time. Mornings are lazier than ever. There is always a cool breeze waiting to greet you good morning (or afternoon depending on when you take a leave from your dream world). Afternoon and early evening time can be spent reading some nice novel and experimenting with your culinary skills waiting for the best time of the day - evening. Trust me, evening showers, here, can heal any mood. When you don't have any job, you could not have asked for more. It's a wonderful life.

I watched August Rush for the third time enjoying one such early evening shower yesterday. It's a very nice movie with a superbly cute star cast. Music is the soul and the binding force that keeps many of us going in this life. I really love the music sequence August Rush plays for the first time when he meets the Wizard. The smile on his face is that of the most purset form. I remember seeing the musical shows in Indian TV and I have always cursed them for the fake emotions all the artists display. What August shows is the genuine affection clubbed with excitement that music brings to his life. It's heavenly. I can watch this movie n number of times to see him enjoying the music. If Nirvana has some look and feel, I must say this one will be very much close to that. Watch this movie if you haven't watched it yet.

Shantaram is going on smooth as usual. I find it difficult to keep this book down everytime I start reading this book. It's only when my wrists and hands start aching that I take a break. I am in love with this book all over again. It has some connection with the best times of my life. Hoping that it continues the same way in future too.

New Post

Well, let me start with an apology for the lack of creativity in putting title for this post. A month's break should be more than enough to get back those creative juices after a hectic final term at WIMWI. What a time it was! "those were the best days of my life" - if I try to put some words to my feelings.

Anyways... So coming back to the long break and life after that. Ah, nothing changes. I traveled to Delhi, Gurgaon, Amritsar, Dalhousie, Dharmshala, back to Delhi and now settled in Bangalore. Not many places, but lots of stories. A couple of thousand photos. In Bangalore, I am re-living my life post resignation from Juniper. Friends, nice food, books and lots of masti. My kinda fun you know. I have started second read of Shantaram and it still is as exciting it was the first time I read it. His wisdom is mind-blowing. Here is a little glimpse of the same -

Most loves are like that, from what I can see. You heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and your independence. After a while you start throwing people out -- your friends, everyone you used to know. And it's still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it's going to take you down with it.

Can't say if I totally agree to it. But it surely is like that prediction that comes in daily horoscope. You can relate to it on any day no matter how hard you try to be a non-believer. More about it soon.

all my bags are packed...

All my bags are packed and I am ready to go...
Well. This is not the best song to describe my mood. Though IIMA is over, I am not yet ready ready to go. Last two year have been so eventful that I see a big void coming my way. One dream phase of my life has come to an end. Almost an end. There is a lose thread that leads me to Nokia and I have to start the new journey there.

If I think of it, there are many good things awaiting me outside these revered red brick walls. I am getting a long break after a long time. Everybody at home is ecstatic about it. Me too. I have to catch up with Shreya on all the lost times that our MBA life has costed us. Bangalore is calling too. It's been a long time and I really miss my life.

Sometime it's really difficult to imagine the possibilities when you have got too much in your hands. Post MBA admissions I had a similar break. And I had made a really good use of that spending quality time with family and friends. I guess it's time for the same. The break is longer, the family and friend circle expanded. Time for a bigger bash...

What's You Raashee

Well what to say? Avoid this movie if you have not yet seen it. You will save precious money, time and peace of mind.

However if you are the kind who likes to challenge himself of the ultimate disgusting achievements, this is the one. I am sure eating worms will be a lesser task than watching this movie in one stretch.

You might ask, "why did I see it then?"

Well, I was testing my patience. Off late I was getting complaints from my near and dear ones that I was losing my patience. So I thought why not give it a litmus test. And guess what. I actually watched it full. Without committing suicide or killing anyone. I behaved in perfect sane manner. Twice I checked if it indeed was directed by Ashutosh Gawarikar. At more than one time I wondered if Priyanka Chopra could actually not look good. I ignored stereotyping and sick humor based on it. What else do I need to do to prove my steady head!! :D

Tufaan ke baad ki shanti... Aur is it the pahle wali?

It's been a week since I gave last exam here in IIMA. Almost two weeks since I got placed.

It's more than 3 months to my joining the corporate world again. Almost three weeks to me donning the convocation robe and walking up the LKP stage to receive my degree (diploma in fact). Two weeks before I meet my fiancee after a really long time. & not to forget just one week before I eat mom ke haath ki roti daal at my home.

There can be many more such landmarks. Whichever way I see, I find myself in a little lull. It's not that boring wala phase when life comes to a standstill and even makkhi marna looks like a attractive pastime. I am in the mid of one of the most relaxing phase of my life. There is no hurry whatsoever. No deadlines, no submissions, no train to catch, no appointments. I have lost track of the date and day.

The summer has already started taking its toll and I am becoming lazy. I am literally doing NOTHING. My (our) plans to do small trips around Ahmedabad and in Rajasthan crash faster than a house of cards. Still we have not lost hope. Kahi na kahi to jaayenge hi... Tab tak Ahmedabad ke najare bhi dekh lete hai...

So talking about the city of Ahmedabad (which incidentally is celebrating its 600th birthday this year), we went to Kankaria lake on Tuesday evening just to realize that the rule number 16 on the notice board outside gate reads 'The lake remains closed on every Monday. In case there is a public holiday on Monday, it will be open to visitors on that Monday and instead the subsequent Tuesday will be the off day." Now that is called luck. Still kuch to karna hi tha.. So one bus ride on the BRTS and we reached Fun Republic to enjoy a game or two of bowling and video gaming. McDonalds across the road came handy to satiate the endless hunger relatively cheaper. :D

Law garden was a better experience. There were lots of recommendation in my list that needed to be covered. And some of them indeed were worth the effort. Jassu Ben ka Pizza and Asharfee Kulfi is my recommendation. And you can safely avoid the bhel puri and sev puri if you are not too much into Gujju versions of chat. Swati Thali was on the list too but somehow our wallet did not allow us to visit that place on a day when we were on budget masti.

A trip to Patan and/or Lothal is next on my mind. Let's see how to make it a reality. Mean time, there are lots of movies to be seen and collected. Suggestions are always welcome as usual.

ZAPPed

One day after Saap had narrated an exceptionally fantastic tale of her adventure, Zapp was unusuallly more ecstatic and in disbelief asked, "Do these things really happen?"
"You should go to such places and find out for yourself, dear," replied Saap.
"Myself? How can I visit these places on my own? I am just a little kid and these places are so far away."
"Far away? How can you know they are far away till you go there? Then once you are there it doesn't matter how far it is, because you are already there."
"But I don't know the way?"
"I wouldn't worry about that either."
"Where do I start, which direction?"
"That shouldn't matter, you haven't seen any direction."
"And how far do I go?"
"Until you think you have found something."
"What if I don't find anything for long?"
"Do you have anything to find here?"
"What if I find something and I don't like it?"
"That should be the least of your concerns. Ultimately none of it will make any difference," said Saap, looking into a blank space.

ps: Taken from the book 'ZAPP:The Squirel who wanted to fly' by Rachit Kinger. link
About the book:
Set in the jungles amid nature's weirdest animals, "Zapp" is an allegory about individual freedom in contemporary society wherein a happy-go-lucky squirrel travels across the world in search of meaning, freedom and ironically, a sane society. Join Zapp, the brave squirrel, on an adventurous journey across the forests of Pinegrove, on a quest for life.

Incidentally Rachit has done his MBA from IIML. Finally I have found one good book that is written by an IIM grad. Highly recommended.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

I read Jonathan Livingston Seagull for a second time a couple of days back. It's an inspiring story. I needed it desperately given the stress levels that I had touched just prior to the final placement process.

This final placement process is supposedly the time of reckoning for all of us here. We have been God's favorite child. Be it the change in program structure, the recession, change in placement process and many more such things - we have seen the most challenging of times. And mind you, we have come out strong every time. Sometimes I wondered if it would have been better if I had joined a batch earlier or a batch later (if I had an option!). Well, who knows. I did what was the best for me at that moment. And I have really enjoyed each and every moment from then onwards. I am happy with my results and achievements and that is more than enough for me.

Coming back to placements, it indeed is a very critical moment for each one of us. You may say it is the reward for the efforts we have put in. It can also be an indicator of evaluation of the efforts. Whatever it is, the fact remains that it is the stepping stone into a new world. We are about to leave the 'comfort' of this campus and enter the real world of business where we are expected to deliver results. From the word go. When all eyes are on you, it's a scary feeling. It's not that we are not ready to take up challenges and rise up to those expectations. It's more about finding a reason to do what we are expected to do. The reason. Jonathan's story is about the same. Finding reasons and not just doing things for survival. Kungfu Panda has a similar theme when the Panda tells to himself that 'I am not here to survive... I am here to live.'

Honestly speaking, today I feel that I have got what I wanted. That's my achievement. And my reason to live. Challenge myself and then achieve that goal - I have done it many a times.And the kick that life gets from it is just too amazing. I am in the hangover mood now. There is a lull now. It takes time to find a new goal, you know!
Till then, let me get senti about my last few days in this campus. :(

ps: Nokia to YesKiya. :D

Spiderman

Learnt one very important lesson today...

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilities and Greater Humility.

I am Pritesh and I just did not like MNIK

Yesterday, I had this very interesting discussion on why MNIK is a bad product advertised well. I totally believed in what I said and the more I think about the more I am convinced as a consumer and as a marketer.

This movie has dealt with a very sensitive issues of discrimination and ill-treatment of Muslims in America and other countries in western world post 9/11. From whatever I read and heard about it in the media, the treatment of events that happened come out very much believable. However, that was not what the movie promised through it's trailers and publicity. It talked about triumph of a human in such a negative environment to bring some hope. SRK as the lead character was to share his dream of how to bring that change. How to do that small bit which will tell us 'Don't think it was end of the world. We can still make a difference.'

However when I see the execution, It really breaks my heart. I had huge expectations from this movie post reading the reviews (specially from some so-called movie critics). When I went to market (cinema hall), I had this perceived expectation from the movie (or if I can say brand MNIK) that I felt was left unsatisfied by the product. The movie as treated the issue at very trivial level, specially the 'i have a dream.. that i can bring a change' part. For most part of the movie, I felt the same self-indulgence that Anurag Kashyap had shown in No Smoking. It was all about SRK, who atleast to me, did a pathetic job as an actor. It was another 2012 for me where the protagonist is the center of the world and we as an audience are supposed to be fooled in being a slave of his adventures for 2 hours or so (much longer in the case of MNIK). Though he actually gets to meet the president (elect) but he missed his 'mission' altogether. There is only one message in the movie that 'I am Rizwan Khan and I am not a terrorist.' Mind you that he had said in first 10 minutes of the movie. I have said something similar as the title of the post. I think I have achieved a big mission too.

That was about the product. However, I feel the advertising did a great job making the buzz about this movie. Controversies regarding SRK, IPL and Shivsena's threats added on to the masala. In recent time it has become very clear that marketing has become an important element in success of any movie. 3 idiots showed us what wonders can good marketing strategy do to a good product. However, I am becoming a little skeptic regarding the controversies that are generated in media just before release of many a big banner films. My heart says they are just a co-incidence and need to come out as they show us the reality while my mind makes me believe that they are just orchestrated marketing gimmicks to create the big buzz for the movie. We all know now the low shelf life (movies in a theatre) that a movie enjoys due to piracy and rise of private entertainment channel. So may be the buzz is necessary to skim the market. I wish that is not the case, coz I as a marketer will never relate to that kind of exercise.

This post I think is as random as my discussion yesterday was. Sometime it is difficult to bring structure to an issue that also involves emotions. I think that is one of my weakness. I hope I am not the only one.

Countdown

I don't really believe in countdowns. A deadline is a deadline is a deadline. Be it fixed externally or set internally to keep up the challenge.

Still I am using a countdown right now. To keep an eye on the end goal. To keep reminding me that how close I am from the destination. Needless to say I am enjoying the journey too. It's like the Great Himalayan Expedition. Your end goal is to reach the summit (and of course come back alive) but you can not ignore the pleasure and pain that you experience in your journey. Each and every moment teaches you something. I am learning a lot of new things now. About myself. About things around me.

I remember the joy I had while preparing for my IIM admission interviews. It's more or less the same feeling now. My AIM is all set. I just hope the luck favors at the right moment.

It's all about dreams

ps: Raghu Dixit's music is very fresh (the album is old, just that I heard it now). Check out his full album call The Raghu Dixit project. You will surely enjoy most of the songs.

Indian Ocean live

Indian Ocean performed in DAIICT last night. It was going to be my second chance to see them live. It's been three years since their mesmerizing performance at Palace Ground as part of Bangalore Habba. A long enough gap to be yearning again for some more of them. So here I was - desperate, ready to go all the way to Gandhinagar, in spite it being the d-day (the day when I was to start my prep) for me. PooCh, as usual, came to my rescue and became my partner in crime. This was a brave and generous move considering the fact that one of his friends is in town. :)

5 of us - PooCh, Megs, Pissu, Anushree and me - started the not-so-long drive in PooCh's car at around 8:30 pm. A change of drivers for safety reasons, a long pit break at 'healthy che' for its yummi veg momos, random discussions on restaurants on SG highway and we reached the vanue - DAIICT campus. Once there, it was Anushree's territory. After all she is an esteemed alumni of this institute.

Talking about alma mater, I feel I have not been a good alumni of any of the institution that I belonged to. Sarafa and then RV - I never looked back. My relation with my work-places has been relatively better. I am at least in touch with people who really mattered and had been to office to meet them even after leaving the company. I feel, it's people, more than the building that give you compelling reasons to come back to a place. With WIMWI, I hope the bonds are stronger coz I really want to come back to this red brick temple again and again.


Gate-crashing has its own fun. Still, being the proud student of WIMWI, we decided to do the right thing - let the lady from the institute do the talking. And rightly, she arrange the guest entry for the gang. A quick bite at Dominos and we set off to watch the performance of the day. I must admit, it was a very lively crowd outside and near the cafeteria but as we approached the field where performance was to be held, I felt that the energy was missing. Supposadely 3000 plus guests were present there, but somehow the crowd seemed much smaller and dispersed. It is one of the disadvantage of having such a huge venue (which is not even lit properly) for such an event. Comparing it with our own LKP, I really see remarkable advantage of having a closed enclosure. It also helped us with lights and sounds during Chaos. So while the crowd seemed low on energy (or atleast lesser than I expected), the band itself also looked a little mellowed down version of what they used to be. Aseem da's unfortunate demise is really a big loss to world of music. I could feel his presence on the stage. The band did well to entertain the crowd playing all the popular numbers like bandeh, ma reva, leaving home, kandisa as well some other not so popular songs. Another comparison that I am taking liberty to make is about the stage presence.  I remember seeing them in Bangalore Habba and the way they involved crowd. That clearly lacked today. One of the reason to it was mentioned about the band that they could not see the crowd because of darkness. I agree. Unless an artist see the result of his magic, he can not reach the next level of involvement himself. On an overall basis, an ok ok performance. I am an Indian Ocean fan so I enjoyed all the songs. Still, it could have been better.

During Chaos, I argued with IKyu about why we did not invite Indian Ocean instead of some other artist. And his argument was that they have a very limited fan-following. So true. Sitting in my dorm room, I can count 10 kandisa fans but my mom always find them lot of chillam chilli. Clearly they can never be show-stoppers for the event like Chaos. Jo bhi hua acha hua. Sonu came and he rocked the stage and everyone loved him. Aal izz well - we heard one of our esteemed faculty say later that night when Sonu performed in LKP. That's the magic of a star.

Our date with food continued to Manek Chowk where we relished on some chocolate sandwiches and hot and spicy pav bhaji. This place reminds me so much of Sarafa in Indore (incidently, Manek Chowk is actually situated amidst the Sarafa bajar). Just a couple of months and I am going to be back to Indore. Enjoying my share of garadu and bhutte ka kis (or kiss?) :)

Till then, Muggo tucche muggo...

He is back

Lucky Ali is back...
With a new album XSUIE...
I have not heard the full songs yet  but listening to the previews I can tell you they are good.
Gosh... I can not believe it.

Thanks Saurabh for the info and link. :D

Chaos continues

I am amidst the biggest Chaos of all time. Sonu Nigam (don't know how he spells his name at this moment) rocked the show last night. At least that is what people say. While he was at it, I was peacefully sleeping in my room. :) :( Lucky Ali ka ek gana mujhe aaj yaad aa raha hai.. 'jab sara jag ye sota nahi.. neend hame kyun aati hai?' Or was it the other way? Well who cares. I was sleeping and that is the truth. I was tired like a dog. And my sleep is the dearest thing to me in such situation.

Earlier in the day also I had a wonderful sleep of few minutes. Really comforting and refreshing. The workshop with RJ Devaki was wonderful experience. Though I regret that the turnout was not great. Her enthusiasm and passion was really remarkable.There is something in her personality that made me her fan today.And I am pretty sure that it is not her beauty that did this magic.

This year, my Chaos has been very limited and I am really missing the fun I had last time. All the four days, my camera and me had seen and captured each and every moment of the fest. This time my camera is silent. However the excitement of getting things in place is something different altogether. Workshops have been a mix of an experience so far. I have had my learnings from this experience. Will share them sometime. For now, it's time to go to mess to have breakfast (which in all probability my only meal of the day) and then set the stage rolling for Tango workshop. I had hoped to attend this workshop with her. Alas, she is not here and thus I give it a skip too. :(

Chaos in my life

Hold your breath...
Chaos is here...

Tonight Nomadic Band NOW with artists from Rajasthan, Haryana and Egypt kicks off the 4 day long cultural fest. Pt. Vishva Mohan Bhatt's performance will be the attraction of this Classical Night. Lot more exciting things lined up for next 3 days. Keep watching this space for more update (that is if you are not coming to Chaos). If you happen to see this post and arrive at Chaos, do give me a buzz/sms.

Ishqiya is just around the corner and that is one movie I would love to watch first day first show. Tab tak I will keep listening to 'dil to bacha hai jee'...

Watched 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' finally. Lovely movie. I would want to read more about it, hoping to get time for that soon.

Time to go now. See you at Chaos...

Social Media and Me

This blog gets an average of 25 page visits a day. For a quite long time, Technorati refused to rank this blog in its list. The comment count on this blog is even more low currently standing somewhere close to 1.12 comments per post. This blog is not the only crib I have. My facebook status update is no bigger success either. How much ever wannabe title/status I put, it just fails to attract any comments. Forget comments, people don't even bother to click on the 'like' button. I don't blame it on lethargy. They are just too quality conscience now a days. I am sure if there was a 'dislike' button, things would have been quite different.

I really need help from some social media expert. :D

Dance workshops @ Chaos 2010

Why you should be coming to Chaos 2010?
Here are reason number 2 and 3:

Salsa Workshop
The most popular among the Latin ballroom dances and a rage that keeps growing in India: Salsa. Let loose your inhibitions and set up a date for the one thing you’ve been planning to do for a while: master the basics of Salsa at the workshop on Sunday, 30^th January. Tease your flexibility with the “123..5678” routine and more. Spice up your dancing skills!

Date: 30th Jan. Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Tango Workshop
Fascinated by those sweeping movements that you saw in “Chicago”? Confused by the words “caminada”, “arrastre” and “enrosque”? Dying to learn but don’t know where? Or just love to dance and are up for trying anything new? Rush to the “Tango” workshop at Chaos 2010. Saturday, 10 am.  A two hour workshop where you get to learn the basics so that you can show off at the next party!

Date: 31st Jan. Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Man in the Mirror

It's that time of the year when you want to be in IIMA. Why? Here is one reason:

Chaos 2010 presents -
Man in the Mirror 
A Performing Art Workshop by RJ Devaki
 
A 4 hour intensive and entertaining workshop designed to discover the performer within you. Get set for a series of techniques, games and exercises that will sculpt you into a better performer. The workshop is open to everyone and it is a must for those who want to be an actor, RJ, model, singer or a public speaker.

Date: 30 Jan. Time: (2 pm - 6 pm)

To book your seats or for more information
Contact:
Pritesh Jain - 9726646191 (8priteshj@iimahd.ernet.in)

EuroTrip memories...

Finally I got time to some work. To preserve my memories.
Here is a glimpse:

Why I want to become Sarkar

I have had one full dose of Sarkar duology (if there is any such word) and one third of Godfather trilogy in last couple of days. Best of the two worlds - I must say. I have been a big fan of RGV and really liked some of his earlier work and still look forward to see him come back to form. Sarkar, to me, is his best work. It inspired me to become Sarkar (in a similar way Godfather by Mario Puzo inspired me to become Godfather). It's a world filled with power and responsibilities. Spiderman had a superb line in this context - with great power comes great responsibilities.

Here is some of the reasons why I love the movie Sarkar.
1. Sarkar has just one lesson - power is not given, it's taken and it stays with you as long as you use it to join others and not break.

2. It does not lack emotions. In fact there are all the emotions - faith, trust, love, lust, anguish, guilt, pride. However, the characters are very much in control of their emotions. To an extent it is an ideal world. Shankar kills his brother, goes to father and tells him that 'meine bhaiya ko mar diya hai'. But nobody reacts as you would have expected them too. Take a different example and this is my favorite - scene where Rasheed dies. There is no guilt, no fear in his eyes. He keeps looking in Shankar's eyes and then vanishes.

 3. Rasheed's character somehow has been a very not-so-bollywood type for me. He is a respectable villain unlike most others (in fact most other villains in even Sarkar are very mediocre). From his entry to his death - he comes out as a strong character who knows what he is really upto.

4. Love is an inseparable element of bollywood cinema. But this movie has been able to not let notions of love distract the main storyline. I am not a fan of Katrina's acting but I can tell you she did a marvelous job in whatever small role she was given in this movie. Tanisha on the other hand is done a remarkable role. Rukhsar as Amrita has done a superb job too. Their role are so well woven in the story and characters given so much emphasis that I really feel they are part of the soul of the movie.

5. The camera moves very slowly and is very much focused on faces. Their expressions actually talk. I really loved seeing Amitabh's expressions throughout the movie. He is just out of the world.

6. I don't recall seeing such a good camera work in any other movie. Lighting is peculiar and shadows have been given a good screen presence. To add to that silence rules and gives so much scope to actually think about what the characters might be thinking.

And last but not the least... 
7. There is chai all over. Sarkar loves chai, so does Chote Sarkar. And now even the lady Sarkar too. I just love it.

ps: Time for chai. :)
raambhai me aa raha hoon....

MC2 Class presentations

Here is a list of topics that were taken up in my class for a 4 minute presentation in the course called Managerial Communication.

1. Working for the Pharma Industry
2. Cross Cultural Communication
3. The Indian Yes
4. Brands
5. Business Ethics
6. Haiti
7. Value Investing
8. Alcohol Prohibition in India
9. Citi Recruitment
10. My Favorite Basketball Players
11. Art of Movie Making
12. DHMO (dual hydrogen mono-oxide aka h2o)
13. Live India Traveling
14. My Favorite Movies
15. Viral Marketing
16. Pee Dee Cee (Phoenix Dating Club)
17. Game of Ultimate Frisbee
18. Recruitment Presentation by Al Queda
19. Dreams
20. 4 Most abused words in IIMA lingo
21. Why to go on Student Exchange
22. Birthday Celebrations in WIMWI
23. Global Warming
24. Media Stereotyping
25. Spaghetti Monster
26. Most Difficult Job in the World
27. MC2 - learnings
28. Swearing in Modern Communication
29. Arrange Marriage as placement process
30. 6 Important tips for success in an organization
    

And this is just the list from my class. An equally interesting list from the other section too. We at IIMA can be creative and funny too. Ossum work everyone. :D

A free soul

There is a comforting silence in my mind now. There are no cross-talks, no long conversation with self, no extreme emotions. It's one of those feelings that says you are going to have a day filled with no worries. A free soul. "Our problem is that most of our efforts go into getting a normal life," one gyani told me last night. I totally agree. Some days I feel that I just want to live a day as normal as it can be. Give me some sunshine give me some air... Maslow's baaki sab level to bhad me gaye.

I don't recall any dream from last night. I might not have seen or may be they were too insignificant. Yesterday was a hectic day filled with loads of worries. In one night - things changed automatically. I do not even know what made it this way. Oops! I just missed discovering the magic potion, I guess.

It's a lovely morning. A littly chilly yet with warmth of a lukewarm morning sun. I wish I had time to go and fly some kites. It's Uttarayan. Not that I have done that all my life. Just that some days you want to do somethings. For no reason.

I am listening to "Dil to baccha hai jee" from Ishqiya right now. Fits the mood well I guess. :D

Hoping for a great day ahead.
Amen !!

ps: Google for coke studio and watch it. It's just out of the world. Superb music delivered in the most beautiful way. Youtube it or here is the link to official website.

1 TB of Memories

I am all set to take away 1TB of IIMA memories with me. Movies, music, photos, videos and lots more. I don't even know if I will ever get time to browse them, but I am carrying them nonetheless. It's a feel good experience. I am feeling assured that I have at least saved some of those unforgettable moments for future.

Calvin has stolen my brain again. I guess it is better to be like this than wasting my tiny little brain analyzing those hundreds of random thoughts that make a living in mind of jobless guy.

I am still not done with sorting EuroTrip photos. I guess this is the toughest part of having a camera. Sorting and labeling photos takes literally a lifetime. Every time I promise myself to be a little considerate before clicking a photo, but it just does not work. Imagine, I have got more than 400 photos from Diu trip. The photos from Shwetank's camera are not yet counted here. It took me more than 2 hours to choose some of the best shots and put titles on them. You can check out the album here.

In Bruges is a beautiful movie, probably as beautiful as the town of Bruges itself. No wonder it ranks high in my "Best Places for Honeymoon" list. We should have spent more time in Bruges, it really has a lot to offer than what we had seen.

ps: Suggestions/recommendation are welcome for movies/songs/artists etc that I should collect from the network here in IIMA.

Let the CHAOS begin

Dil to baccha hai jee

Simply superb. It proves what magic can good lyrics do to a song. This song is so much hummable despite the poetic feel. Hats off the team behind it.

ps: Even other songs from the movie including the remixes are very good. Do give them a shot.

Winter Chill

Winter has set in. Unlike the European winter, this one is little more friendly and lively. I am happy that I came back from Europe well before the extreme winter. I wouldn't have enjoyed it that much. For me the formula is a little chill in air and lot of warmth inside. I am pretty much getting best of both here in Ahmedabad now. It;s been long time since I have spent some quality time with my loved ones. I guess this could have been that ideal time for that. Damn, I just cannot do something for it now.

Classes are on full swing. With 4 classes per day schedule, it is difficult to imagine any free time for yourself. However, the magic of this last term in my course is that I still get a lot of free time. What do I do with it is a big question. I am pretty sure about one thing that I am enjoying my classes better than ever. May be it has to do something with the realization that these are my last few chances to 'learn' in such an environment. I have had dreams of my first year classes after coming to second year and while in Paris. I missed them a lot. Each one of them was a memorable moment (I wish I could preserve them somehow) and I know I am living some more such moments today.

On personal front, I am undergoing a major transformation. I have to take some of the most critical decisions of my life now and I certainly need to recollect all my senses for that. It's a time of self-reflection too as pretty soon I will be asked to answer questions like "What’s my purpose of life?" In short, it is time for placement and I need to buckle up quickly. I have not yet felt the urgency. I hope I get that feeling soon.

I have cut down on blogging, I don't know why. May be the pace of life is not giving me a lot of time to think. I hope to do overcome this now. Time to make some rules for myself. That should help gaining more control. See you soon.

Jahapanah... Tussi Great Ho...

By now a hundred thousand blog/articles would have been written in praise of the movie 3 idiots. A couple hundreds would also have taken the pain to find minor glitches to criticize the movie. It is my turn to take a shot at this movie. I am too late I know. But still. Der aaye par durust aaye.

3 idiots is a must watch for all the parents in this country like Baghban is for every son. I won't call it a must watch for every student though. It's a mix of dejavu and dreams. All of us would not have gone to a college of the stature of the one shown in the movie, still we would have seen at least some part of our student life in that movie. And if not that, we would atleast would have dreamt by now to have a life like that. Dil Chahta Hai was also a story of friendship and love. But its story started only after the friends had left the college. It redefined certain notions of friendship though. Rang De Basanti was a closer match in that sense. Here friendship and college life were mixed in a better proportion and the movie also dealt with some issues beyond the college life. I really can not forget the scene where DJ tells Su about his fear of leaving the college ... college ke gate ke iss paar ham duniya ko nachate hai... tim lak lak... te tim lak lak... It could not have been said better.

While 3 idiots touched lots of issues from the surface level, it did get across certain strong messages. Why I recommend to every parents is the message that is so nicely conveyed in the movie. Karo vahi jo dil chahe... In Lakshya, Rhithik takes this lesson in the start of movie - kaam jo bhi karo dil laga ke karo... chahe vo ghas katna hi kyun na ho... 3 idiots picked up where Lakshya had left it.

There are lots of issues that were just touched at trivial levels still I won't let this be a reason to undermine this movie. It's a great entertainer and one should really go and watch it with whole family.

ps: Had started writing this post on 30th dec. Finally completed it. My god... I wonder what I am doing these days. :D