Little Moments of Joy

Musical End Of An Year

2011-12-31T19:22:00.002+05:30

2011 has been mix kind of year. It saw the good, the bad and the ugly of my life (not necessarily in that particular order). But jo hua so hua. Ab to time hai aage ki aur dekhne ka and hoping for the best. And what better way to expect good things in life than to listen to some of the most beautiful music the whole day of 31st Dec. The Dewarists, Agnee and Raghu Dixit - you have made my day today.
Looking forward to an amazing year ahead.

Mind Without Fear

2011-12-30T13:01:00.000+05:30

First season of The Dewarists started with this beautiful composition called Mind Without Fear by Vishal Shekhar & Imogen Heap. This show was telecasted sometime in October. For some reason, I just could not catch up on it in spite seeing lots of tweets and fb updates from my friends. And I will always curse myself for this. It was Xmas week that I finally got the chance to see this show and thus started my journey with The Dewarists.

I am bowled over by the show. Mind Without Fear is right there on the top of my charts (and by that I mean it is the only song in my playlist now). And this is not the only song that has done it. Every episode is an experience in itself. It's not just the music, or the visual treat that the show has provided in the background, or the inspiring stories that artists share with us or the beautiful host. It's the entire experience of seeing something as beautiful as music created, that makes me fall in love with this show. It shows how feeling flow from our hearts & soul to get transformed into reality. It's this purity that inspires.

Coke Studio has done something similar to me in past. I love Coke Studio not just for the music it offers me but also the way it gave us that music. The artists are not just performing on that stage. They are living their music. They are enjoying every moment they are there and we get to live with them in those moments. The camera is up and close to their face. We can read their eyes, we can cherish their smile [remember Jal Pari by Atif Aslam in Season 2]. It's this closeness that makes us believe in their efforts. The Dewarists does the same thing and takes us even closer where the artists actually talk about what is going through their mind and heart. Amazing camera work and storytelling efforts by the team. I'm on a spree right now and will finish watching all the episodes of this season before this blog posts become visible to the world.

Don't forget to call me when you read this post. My new ringtone is the theme song from Dewarists and it gives me one more reason to worship Raghu Dixit's music.

Pal Do Pal Ka Break

2011-12-29T16:36:00.000+05:30

Raja posted this on his fb profile and read to me in mid of a heavy discussion about primary and secondary at the month/year end. Cannot stop myself from sharing it.

Microsoft's Bill Gates decided not to invest further in Punjab after receiving a letter from Mr Banta Singh .

To : Bill Gates, Microsoft
Date : 1 April 2011
Subject : Problems with my new computer

Dear Mr. Bill Gates,

We bought a computer for our home and we have found some problems, which I want to bring to your notice..

1. There is a button 'start' but there is no 'stop' button. We request you to check this.
2. One doubt is whether any 're-scooter' is available in system? I find only 're-cycle', but I own a scooter at my home.
3. There is 'Find' button but it is not working. My wife lost the door key and we tried a lot to trace the key with this ' find 'button, but was unable to trace. Please rectify this problem.
4. My child learnt 'Microsoft word' now he wants to learn 'Microsoft sentence', so when will you provide that?
5. I bought computer, CPU, mouse and keyboard, but there is only one icon which shows 'My Computer': when will you provide the remaining items?
6. It is surprising that windows says 'MY Pictures' but there is not even a single picture of mine. So when will you keep my photo in that.
7. There is 'MICROSOFT OFFICE' what about 'MICROSOFT HOME' since I use the PC only at home.
8. You provide 'My Recent Documents'. When you will provide 'My Past Documents'?
9. You provide 'My Network Places'. For God sake please do not provide 'My Secret Places'. I do not want to let my wife know where I go after office hours.

Regards,

PS: Sir, how is it that your name is Gates but you are selling WINDOWS?

Bitter Sweet Symphony

2011-12-21T21:14:00.000+05:30

One of our most loyal companions are our playlists. They grow up with us reflecting every change in our taste and likes. Whatever the mood, they are generally the perfect reflection of it.
And most important of them, they can take us back and fro in time.
I just heard the song Bitter Sweet Symphony from Verve and it took me on a time travel. Bangalore, the hangar, all the gala time we had there and what not - so many memories came flashing.
Add to that list songs from Lucky Ali, Euphoria, Bryan Adams, Floyd, Coldplay, Oliver Shanti & Friends, Karunesh, Jal, Rockstart etc and I've almost prepared myself to write my autobiography.
It's good to be reliving your own life.

Don't know if its appropriate or not, but I feel I am loving these lyrics at this moment.

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah

No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no, no, no,no,no,no,no,no(fading away)

Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

No change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can't change
I can't change it

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
Trying to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah

You know I can't change, I can't change
I can't change, I can't change
But I'm here in my mind
I am here in my mind
And I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mind
No, no, no, no, no

I can't change my mind
no, no, no, no, no,
I can't change
Can't change my body,
no, no, no

I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
That you've ever been down
That you've ever been down

RT Free Falling

2011-12-13T23:43:00.000+05:30

If I wanted to write a blog today, it would have got the exact same soul as this one which I wrote almost 4 and half years back - Free Falling
Only If I could write so well today. Will make do with a RT today.

Buddha is smiling

2011-12-07T09:23:00.000+05:30

Buddha is smiling.

This not-so-chilly winter has sprung up some surprises. Good music, good food and some really good time with family. And it makes me firmly believe that all the the efforts are worth it.

Rockstar soundtrack is in a continuous loop in my playlist. I wish I had the videos of all the songs too. If Rahman has done magic with his music, the director has done really fitting justice to Rahman's magic.

A short trip to Indore is all I could afford to arrange in the mid of month end closings and start of a new month. But it was worth every moment. Eating in sarafa, long conversations with my cousins and Gunjan, my time at home with family and all the fun during Arpit's shadi. Oh yea, Arpit is married now. Best wishes to you guys - Arpit & Rajul. Welcome to the club.
So it does not matter, if the Khurana Travels bus was really bad, if they treated the passenger like a cattle herd, if they dropped me in mid of nowhere at 5am in the morning without really helping me out with directions, if the month end was happening while I was going through all this and if I really hated every moment of the struggle to buy just some time with people whom I love. It just did not matter.

Buddha is smiling. And that is what matters.

See I Told Yea

2011-11-03T07:19:00.000+05:30

I've found myself saying this again and again these days. I could genuinely say it to everyone around me and proved to be true too. But ironically, when it comes to my own life, I don't have that much certainty and surety. One day I was on top of the world, while the very next day I was pulled down and crushed in the dust. Resurrection is the only way out for me, but then I am no phoenix. At least not on every day of the month.
I wish I could say to myself today - "don't worry mamu... all izz well..."

Sadda Haq

2011-11-02T07:43:00.001+05:30

Sadda Haq is the hindi rock anthem of the year. Or actually one of the few that have happened in Hindi Cinema. Rock on and now Rockstar - there is something about these long-haired weirdly-dressed smoking-drinking-abusing young musicians. They are what many of us want to become - passionate, carefree, rebellious. I always wanted to see the Blue Man Group live. Not just for their creativity, but for their attitude and passion with which they do what they do. (You could argue the same for Lady Gaga, and then if that is not enough, you would want me to watch Rakhi Sawant too.)

Eurotrip was my carefree phase of the life. We traveled with full enthusiasm facing every difficulty that came our way. Not that things changed drastically post that, still I've seen a change. And it pains me to term that change to 'being responsible' or 'maturity'. Yes, I'm married now, and I am working. But why does it need to change everything. I've lost the track of my life a little. It's that phase of life where changes are inevitable. But I'm sure I'm going to cross it soon. Sonam, you are right. I've changed from the guy who wrote at the same blog a couple of years ago. Some of the changes were forced while other happened without my knowledge. I'm starting the reversal process now. The old me is roaring to come back to life.

Wait for it... It will be legendary soon...

Diwali Kab Hai... Kab Hai Diwali?

2011-10-23T08:00:00.000+05:30

Yesterday when I got up, I had just one question in my mind "Is it really the Diwali time?"

Diwali has been my favorite festival since I don't know when. Even in school during most of my exams, I wrote essay on Diwali when the topic merely said "You Favorite Festival". It's a different thing altogether that for obvious reasons, there was more material to write on Diwali than any other festival. While in school, an eight pager essay is guaranteed to fetch more marks than 4 pages one afterall. :D

I would plan well in advance on my firecracker requirements and stock them up. If there is anything in this world that I've been really disciplined about, it was my rationed usage of firecrackers over the five days of festivities (and of course some buffer stock was exhausted on the eve of Gyaras Khopdi). Those were the days.

I was missing those days yesterday. I was missing home. Clearly it was not the best of the mornings that I could have. That too on a day when I am alone, physically not in the best of the conditions and about to gear up for one of the toughest day of this job. It indeed was not a good morning very soon. I made a total fool of my myself in the Team call.

But that was it. I don't know what happened one I hung up the call, I just got lots of energy and enthu. I had nothing to lose afterall. And I started on my market work. Met a couple of people. Spoke to many. And tried to motivate them for the work. I did not know then how much effective it will be. But I did it with all my heart. A late lunch on a hot 'almost' summer day, coupled with a couple of chai and colddrinks here and there. And I got a chance to enter one firecracker shop. I cannot explain what prompted me, but I felt so much like those good old days. Remembered most of my Diwali in a flash of a time. Bought some and then moved on to do my job for the rest of the day. I don't know if I will be using these or actually gifting to friends.

The day ended on a much brighter note than I had expected. It was one of those days when I would have died to come home and eat nice homely food made by you and then gone for a walk with my wife holding her hands.

Everything is not perfect but. Some wishes remain unfulfilled. But I know anything is possible. And it will happen soon.

Today morning when I got up, I had just one thing in mind. Today is the most important day for my work this month. And I've to give my 100% and more come what may.

I'm gearing up for that. Better things are surely on their way.

Till then...

Change is Welcome

2011-10-19T14:05:00.000+05:30

I have finished reading 'The Immortals of Meluha' and bought two books as reward for the good job in reading. 'The Secrets of Naga' is on its way to completion now. It indeed takes up not just the story but also the level of storytelling from where it was left in the end of 'The Immortals of Meluha' and takes it up a couple of notches. History, mythology and religion can be interesting read if written with the right set of audience in mind.

This space is seeing less of me now. So is my photoblog. And I just cannot justify the reason behind this. Am trying hard to keep the tempo up on FB and LinkedIn. For the first time in my life, I am feeling that I am finding it tough to be in touch with everyone. Including myself. I'

Tweet of a post

2011-10-05T09:13:00.002+05:30

is waiting for "The Oath of the Vayuputras" and "Rockstar" and Nokia with WP7.5 and of course going to Bangalore. I know which wish is getting fulfilled soon. :D

just in case...

2011-08-28T09:33:00.000+05:30

Just in case you are planning to get married... let me tell you...

Your playlist will be named crap and you will have to listen to random senti mushy songs day in and day out.
You will be asked to select between various options of Tata Sky which have Colors, Imagine, MTV etc etc amongst the only one possible option in name of chosing DTH for home.
You will be asked a hundred times "breakfast me kya khaoge?" at a time when you are about to die of hunger.
You will be tortured to taste half-cooked experimental new recipes (directly off the internet, or from call) in name of please check 'namak theek hai naa?'
You will shop every weekend - for curtains, decorative items and a hundred other things whose only contribution to your life is a reduced bank balance and big credit card bill.
You will be shouted at if you don't show interest in selection of Samsung's 21L microwave oven. Never mind if microwave oven is the last thing in this world you should have an expert comment on.
You are bound to reply all calls, messages, tweets, blah blahs, no matter whatever time they arrive.

more to follow...

Househunting and other stories

2011-07-14T15:42:00.000+05:30

Hyderabad seems to be a relatively 'chill' city. Temperature has been moderate so far. Tempers too. I did not bother anyone and so did they. I love any city that shows this character.

People's definition of traffic jams here does not match mine as I learnt about these things in Bangalore, Mumbai and Gurgaon. Road sense seem to be off the mark by quite a distance. Thank god the roads are wide otherwise I wonder where would these people show all their driving tricks and stunts. It's not easy to find metered auto. Nothing new when it comes to big cities. I wonder how did they manage to build this culture in Mumbai Autowalas to use that black box called meter.

I've still to find a place which I can and will call my home. Till that time, Taj Banjara is a good makeshift abode. In spite the stink that has marred the surrounding lake, it is still a beautiful place to be. Night skyline from my 8th floor room is as memorable as you can imagine in any of the city hotels. And guess what! I serves an ossum breakfast buffet. My +1 for Taj Banjara if you really are looking for some comfortable stay in this city. For those who do not speak the language of '+1', I've a few invites left in case you want to join the bandwagon on G+. Who knows, you might be riding another wave.

Redifining Joy

2011-06-24T20:22:00.000+05:30

The smile that pops on my face when I think about going home next time.
Or the drop of tear that could not stop itself when I was leaving home last time.
Food that she makes and eats with me from our plate.
Or the tea that she makes every morning.
Long conversations that we had while walking on the beach side in Langkawi.
Or those which happened aankho hi aankho mein...
Fights that did not last more than 10 minutes.
Or discussions which lasted even lesser.
To shop or not to shop.
Or rather to stop her or not to stop.
Stealing those little moments in front of everyone.
Or waiting when no one's around.
My time, your time and our time.
My work, your work or no work.
That shine in my parents' eyes.
Or the affection that she has spread all over.
It's a new way of life.
One that I am cherishing to my best possible.
Marriage - it's a new definition of joy.

Keep Walking

2011-05-09T20:30:00.002+05:30

Trying to keep up with the changing time!

Status Update: Wk18

2011-05-08T12:29:00.000+05:30

Shopping for the big day - Done [Well, this will go on till the last moment. Signing it off for now, just to not have many pending todos in the list]
Watch some good movies in theater - Done [Rio, Dilli Chalo and Shor in the City - I recommend them all]
Visit Kathmandu for an outbound - Done [Do try the Everest Flight by one of those local airlines. Sagarmatha is stunning.
Listen to some refreshing music - Done [Shor in the City - Saibo and Karma is a bitch are just not getting out of my head now!]
Try out some new gizmos - Done [HTC HD7 is amazing. I am a fan of Windows Phone 7 interface now. Loved the seamless connectivity in my phone, facebook and email accounts. Touch interface, Camera and Sound are amazing too, to make it a wholesome experience.]
Take some nice pictures and post them on picasaweb - Done [Kathmandu trip photos uploaded here.If you are on ovi, you can download this app "Dream Factory" to access my picasaweb page from your Nokia mobile. I am sure I could have done much better work there. Damn!]
Pack the bags for the big day - Done [same as shopping task]
iPad2 - WIP [It's love at first sight. Waiting for the right moment to propose her!]
Write blog - Done [well almost done. If not a proper blog, I wrote some crap at least.]

- Pritesh

Belvedere Park

2011-04-26T08:44:00.000+05:30

I live in a corporate jungle called Belvedere Park. My apartment is just amongst the 270 odd apartments situated in this multistory building complex. And I am one amongst the thousand plus of its resident. I believe the feeling of being part of a society ends here. I don’t know the name of my neighbor and doubt if they could say anything different about me. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t know about my existence altogether. I will still give them benefit of doubt. After all, anyone can guess that an apartment is occupied by seeing at the fresh news paper lying in front of its door every morning.

I get up every morning listening to the screeching sound of our door bell. It’s our maid. We have instructed her to not leave any stone unturned to wake us up every morning at 6:45am. She comes from some far away locality. I wonder how she managed doing it day after day without fail during those chilly winter mornings.

Every time I enter the building complex, the guard at the entrance looks at my face carefully and tries his best to record a picture of mine in his memory. It’s a tough job. There are just too many of us. Our nomadic ways of existence that we fondly call ‘geographical mobility,’ have ensured that people from my tribe ‘the new age go-getters’ keep changing their abodes before the guards start finding a familiarity in our face. I pity those guards. They have not yet got themselves upgraded for linked-in age.

I eat, that is when I eat, at the nearest food court. Sometimes if I feel lazy, I order food from some of the nearby restaurants. It’s expensive and it’s inhuman. Sometimes I lose my appetite at the apathy that the restaurant boys and delivery boys show while providing me my food. How I miss my stay in Europe on such occasions. The warmth that the service people showed there was the main reason we survived 3 harsh months living on just bread jam, fruits and subways. Why am I complaining so much! I can cook and I should have done it when the things are so bad. I ask myself this question again and again. I cannot find a reasonable answer.

My apartment is on the 15^th floor. From the balcony of my apartment, the car parking of our building complex appears to be a showcase filled with matchbox toys. I’m not a big fan of heights. It takes you away from reality. Time I spent in the lift is the most awkward of the moments of my existence here. I enter the lift. He (or she) enters the lift. If anyone is in the most brilliant of the moods, there will be a smile exchanged. And then there is silence. Nobody will speak even a single word. Wait for your floor, which in my case is the 15^th (or actually just 14^th as there is no 13^th floor by design and vastu reasons) seems like eternity. Makeshift jogging track is a better place in that aspect. You see somewhat familiar faces there if you are regular. But, is regularity my thing? Well no!

There is more to my life than just the cribs above. Let me be very frank that I don’t blame it entirely on the people or the culture here. I am equally responsible for the way things are turning out to be. It’s a 6 month long transit break for me before I move on to the next location (which mostly will be a more permanent place, so to say). Life shall be more settled then. Till then, I will continue my tryst with Gurgaon.

These thoughts have been in my mind for long, just that today I got the enthu to pen them down for future reference.

Staying Alive

2011-03-27T08:17:00.000+05:30

Last fortnight or so has been hectic. Work - Family - Friends and things in between sums up to my life in recent time really well. Interestingly, all of them are giving me a high now. Yesterday, I had a long chat with my sister. The mood during the conversation has raised my hopes of getting back to life faster than what it appeared in last couple of months or so. Mom and Dad seem to have kept themselves busy. Good and bad, it's one way for them to get back to life (again faster than what I had imagined it will take). It's not the best way out, but then I have no other solution either. So let the music play!

India - SA was a heart-breaking moment. But then India - Aus made up for it. And what better way to make up for all your sins in past than sending the arrogant Aussies back with a humiliating defeat in WC quarter finals. I am excited about the Semis now. Looking forward for a historical event on 30th. :D

My camera has been taking lots of mobile phone screen shots in last couple of weeks. I can imagine how much it would have abused me for doing that. I know, I have to take it out to the beautiful Old Dilli and bring it back to life. Don't worry my love 550D; we are going there soon.

Vo din ab dur nahi hai.. Ab dilli dur nahi hai...

Delhi, Agra and Dry heat of Gurgaon

2011-03-19T15:53:00.001+05:30

Taj is beautiful. If not the most beautiful thing in this world, it still belongs to the top rung of beauties in this world. Qutub Minar and India Gate belong to the same league, in my opinion. It's not just the architecture. It's the mix of architecture, folklore, national pride and collective imagination that comes with combination of these.

They are a photographer's dream come true. I have had a couple of good dates with these in last couple of months. I am loving my time in Delhi now. While Gurgaon is still dry (and now very hot), Delhi is vibrant and lively. Food is another plus in Delhi's favor.

Another three months before I move back to field. These three months are going to be eventful to say the least. Looking forward to them.

Delhi Diaries Slideshow

2011-03-19T15:18:00.002+05:30

Delhi Diaries Slideshow

Avadh ki ek shaam

2011-02-06T21:48:00.000+05:30

Lucknow minus its garbage reminds me of my European experience. The city is filled with historical and political monuments and there is a strange obsession with erecting tall statues. There are huge green patches of gardens in mid of the city. Many a offices and government buildings boasts of big domes. This is all so European.

Most of the credit should go to none other than the Big Sister. History is being made here. City has caught up with an obsession with buildings with tall facades. Boundary walls are high. Guards are always on vigil. I wonder whom are they guarding? The elephants? Soon this city will boast of having the most number of elephants. Kanjiranga National park must be feeling threatened today.

I am surely enjoying the Avadh experience. Pani Batase with variety of Pani, Batase with Dahi Chatni, Kachori (which in my language were more like Poori than a Kachori), Garama garam kesariya doodh with rabadi... and yes malai kulfi - I could not have asked for more. My 550D has captured it all. Forever.

The evening has just begin. I know Lucknow has a lot more to offer than just these.

Gurgaon - A Second Chance

2011-01-16T18:30:00.000+05:30

If my first encounter with Gurgaon was during the hottest month of the year, second one happens to be in the coldest one. The city has not changed a bit though. For me, it is as cold as it has always been. It's a strange feeling. I find faces more families than ever [I think I can attribute this to my sudden transfer from Hubli to here]. Still the warmth, that I felt in any other place I have been so far, is missing here. It's too early to decide; I can tell myself at this moment. I will give Gurgaon a proper second chance. Every city deserves this.

there is a song for every occasion

2010-12-08T07:29:00.000+05:30

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

2010-11-29T21:37:00.000+05:30

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

2010-11-26T18:43:00.000+05:30

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

2010-11-23T09:02:00.003+05:30

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

2010-10-26T17:42:00.000+05:30

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

2010-10-22T08:22:00.002+05:30

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

2010-10-19T09:41:00.000+05:30

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

2010-10-17T09:33:00.001+05:30

"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

2010-09-28T21:01:00.001+05:30

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...

2010-09-26T11:36:00.000+05:30

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

2010-09-24T22:05:00.000+05:30

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

2010-09-23T09:20:00.001+05:30

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

2010-08-26T21:12:00.000+05:30

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

2010-08-22T18:07:00.000+05:30

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

2010-08-12T09:18:00.001+05:30

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

2010-08-01T16:43:00.001+05:30

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

2010-07-25T11:07:00.004+05:30

'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

2010-07-14T20:39:00.000+05:30

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...

2010-07-10T20:27:00.000+05:30

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

2010-07-05T18:12:00.000+05:30

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

2010-05-20T20:03:00.001+05:30

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

2010-05-14T13:10:00.001+05:30

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

2010-05-12T16:27:00.001+05:30

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

2010-04-21T11:21:00.000+05:30

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

2010-04-19T11:34:00.000+05:30

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...

2010-03-12T12:46:00.000+05:30

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

2010-03-08T15:24:00.000+05:30

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?

2010-03-05T16:44:00.000+05:30

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

2010-02-24T19:44:00.000+05:30

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

2010-02-23T15:48:00.000+05:30

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

2010-02-20T21:04:00.000+05:30

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

2010-02-18T08:50:00.000+05:30

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

2010-02-16T09:18:00.000+05:30

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

2010-02-12T12:12:00.000+05:30

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

2010-02-07T15:29:00.001+05:30

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

2010-02-04T10:47:00.000+05:30

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

2010-01-31T09:01:00.001+05:30

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

2010-01-28T08:51:00.000+05:30

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

2010-01-26T12:42:00.000+05:30

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

2010-01-24T08:58:00.001+05:30

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

2010-01-23T21:20:00.000+05:30

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...

2010-01-22T17:26:00.000+05:30

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

Why I want to become Sarkar

2010-01-21T16:20:00.000+05:30

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

2010-01-18T01:15:00.000+05:30

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

Working for the Pharma Industry
Cross Cultural Communication
The Indian Yes
Brands
Business Ethics
Haiti
Value Investing
Alcohol Prohibition in India
Citi Recruitment
My Favorite Basketball Players
Art of Movie Making
DHMO (dual hydrogen mono-oxide aka h2o)
Live India Traveling
My Favorite Movies
Viral Marketing
Pee Dee Cee (Phoenix Dating Club)
Game of Ultimate Frisbee
Recruitment Presentation by Al Queda
Dreams
4 Most abused words in IIMA lingo
Why to go on Student Exchange
Birthday Celebrations in WIMWI
Global Warming
Media Stereotyping
Spaghetti Monster
Most Difficult Job in the World
MC2 - learnings
Swearing in Modern Communication
Arrange Marriage as placement process
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

2010-01-14T08:44:00.000+05:30

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

2010-01-09T10:46:00.000+05:30

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

2010-01-08T21:24:00.000+05:30

Dil to baccha hai jee

2010-01-08T00:26:00.000+05:30

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

2010-01-07T08:26:00.000+05:30

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...

2010-01-07T00:13:00.001+05:30

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

Conversations with Javed Akhtar

2009-12-27T21:24:00.001+05:30

1. If you admire somebody from a distance, you make an image of him or her and you fall in love with that image and soon you are no longer in love with that person, you are in love with the image that you've created. And that image is the extension of your own fantasies, so that image is finally you. It's a kind of self-love. You forget that person and get very upset if that person doesn't match up to your fantasy. If you're grown up, mature, objective, you have to understand that people are not your fantasy.

2. We might believe we do things on the spur of the moment, but unconsciously we're preparing ourselves for the future.

ps: Read in a book called Talking Films: Conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar

Jason Bourne, Mahatma and 3 idiots

2009-12-27T10:28:00.000+05:30

In short I am back on Campus.

Here is a short review of the movies I have seen in recent times:
1. Making of Mahatma: Nice storyline covering some of the forgotten incident in the man's life. I have nothing else to compare it too. Still need to discuss the movie and the characters in the class so will update once I have more concrete opinion.

2. Bourne Series: I watched all the three movies in last couple of days. Just irresistible I must say. First movie got me really nostalgic about my stay Paris. It was a feeling like "I was there". Really nice pace in all the three movies.

3. 2012: One of the shittiest movies that I have seen so far. Nothing new. I tried so hard to watch it completely but just could not keep myself enthused for that. I wonder what did the world like in this movie!

4. Avataar & 3 Idiots - still to see. :D

LVMR

2009-12-24T09:23:00.000+05:30

LVMR - Leadership: Vision Meaning and Reality

The Beginning of the End

2009-12-22T19:25:00.003+05:30

Today is my first day of classes in this last term in IIMA. Another 70 odd days and I will be done with this vicious circle of classes, casemates and exams. Am I happy about it. I really am not sure. The senti nb is well on its way. I may not be those most vocal there but I know I am getting emotional about my time in IIMA. I missed these classes so much when I was away from the campus. I missed my dorm room and all the friends. They have been my life for last one and half year or so. They defined my life to a great extent.

Today I had three classes to attend and I really enjoyed each moment of those. I don't know why but classes here generate a wow feeling for me now. I see an awe-inspiring aura around my professors, something that I really did not feel during my stint in ESCP. This one last term is going to be a defining point for my career and life in general. I really don't know how much justice will I be able to do to it. Just hoping that I make the best use of it so that years down the lane I tell everyone "those were the days."

It's not the beginning of an end.
It's the return to innocence.

EuroTrip - Day 86

2009-12-09T23:12:00.001+05:30

Last Monday

The shopping list is almost done. So are the travel plans. A little more needs to be done on studies part and then the pack-up. The EuroTrip is coming to an end. I am left with just one more exam (that is on Wednesday) so for now it's a little relaxed for me. I can afford to do some more sorting of photos or catching up with friends before finally getting lost in the ppts that the professor had shown us in the class.

I am still to overcome the Swiss experience. It's a beautiful place worth its name and fame. I found it more of an adventure seeker's paradise than that for honeymooners. Still it stands right at the top on the list I have prepared so far. Just that Shreya and me might also do a bungee jump or para gliding if we ended up coming here. Not a really romantic thing but I guess she will not mind this craziness.

My bags look over-stuffed now. I will have lot of trouble getting all my stuff cleared through airport checking due to weight limits. I wish they had provision for allowing compensation for personal weight loss in your baggage limit. I would have got at least 10kg leeway. :)

EuroTrip - Day 85

2009-12-09T03:02:00.001+05:30

6th December

6th December - this day is etched on my memories permanently. For all the bad reasons. There is nothing that directly impacted me. Still, some memories just refuse to fade away.

Today I got one more reason to remember this day. It's the day when the biggest cribber I have known was born. A mota-in-denial (as his dorm-mates believe) who plays guitar well. When he plays, he is so much into it that everybody is awestruck. Himself included. The brain behind some of the best t-shirt designs that I have seen. A smart-ass observer, he can be nasty when he is taking your case. Ask his girlfriend about it. A gossip monger to the core, he can beat girls in these art. A slogger by heart and by choice, he does not forget to crib about the hard work later. A nice mix of characters from every genre of t.v. serials. Call him by any name - TAClee, Nepali, Pahadi, Bora, Raju - he is the same. A good 'old' friend indeed.

Today, on December the 6th, I did nothing extraordinary. Got up, packed my bag, reached the railway station, shopped for souvenirs, played train-train to get a glimpse of Heidelberg and finally took my last journey in ICE. We might have reached the end of EuroTrip today. No more travel in this EuroTrip. We plan to spend next few days in Paris taking one last look at the city and giving an exam in between.

I'm still not euphoric about going back India. I am not sad about leaving Paris either. I just don't have any special feeling. What is wrong with me? Instead of running a countdown, I am listening to Enigma and Lucky Ali. I wonder if 'Aal Izz Well' with me!

EuroTrip - Day 84

2009-12-08T03:01:00.000+05:30

Backpacker's Paradise

Get up early in the morning when everyone around you is still peacefully sleeping. Get ready and go for a long walk in some random direction. A nice refreshing bath followed by a simple yet filling breakfast. I have done this many times. Vayittiri, Goa, Abu, Maheshwar, Yercaud - the list is endless. Each such morning has been a memorable one.

Today I added one more name to this list - Interlaken. It's unbelievable to think that I never needed need an alarm to get up in right time on such days. The body clock adjusts itself, I guess. Today also, I was awake well in time to witness the sunrise in this beautiful little town in foot of the most beautiful of the Swiss Alps. However, the little cover of clouds in the east played the spoilsport. I missed the sunrise just by a whisker. But it was still a really beautiful morning nonetheless. Snowy mountain are a treat to watch when the first ray of the rising sun hits their peak and gives it a heavenly glow. The whiteness of pristine snow gives rise to a golden tint. The blue sky plays the perfect companion making the sight a treat to be cherished. There was something special in the air. Pure and refreshing. Melting snow gives rise to a variety of shapes. Kissing couple to dancing budhha - it's all there. You just need to open your eyes and let your creative self rule the vision.

Xmas is just around the corner and you can feel it in every town and village in this country. Interlaken's Xmas market started today. These festive markets are like small carnivals. Craftsman set up their shops in makeshift hut shaped stalls, so do the people selling traditional food and beverages. The decorations are carefully done and attention is paid to every detail. I had seen a glimpse of what goes into making such beautiful and vibrant market during my morning walk when I had exchanged some pleasant good morning greetings with those people. I am really impressed by their creative efforts. There is a passion which comes out so distinctly from their efforts. So far, Xmas celebration for me have been about enjoy watching these Europeans unleash their creativity. It's inspiring to say the least.

The traditional craft work in these markets are really interesting. Handcrafted wooden articles to glass souvenirs, woolen items and loads of other things - each one beautiful than the other. I really wish they were a little affordable. I would have so many extra souvenirs to take home then.

Interlaken is surrounded by two beautiful lakes (Thun and Brienz) and we had not yet been to even one of those. Today's itinerary had to include at least one of those. We headed towards Lake Thun. The direction looked simple but turned out to be real confusing. Or actually we really did not care about them. We kept walking - a long silent walk before realizing that we were literally lost. We could hear the sound of the river but could not see any water. There were hardly any soul venturing out of their cozy homes on such a beautiful day. So we kept walking. A couple of attempts to get some help and we were on a newer road. A beautiful golf course covered with snow, some trails for horse riders, a big field (which was still a field and no snow field) where parasailers were landing with perfection and a beautiful camping site on the highway. We had reached the lake somehow. A long walk listening to nature's music. Life could not have been beautiful.

Lake Thun is like the blue water lagoon of anyone's dream. Crystal clear water in the best of shades. Snowy mountains seeing their reflection as if to appreciate their own self. Ducks playing in the water. Sound of tiny waves splashing on the shore. Seagulls. Beautiful woooden houses with their windows opening directly above the water. No soul visible for miles. You and your loneliness. Just You. Heavenly is the word. It's heavenly beautiful and gives an ultimate feeling of inner peace. No wonder, I just dozed off dreaming of something beautiful. When I woke up, I realized it was not a dream. I was there in that beautiful world.

We stopped in a small little town called Brienz on our return journey to Lucerne. I wouldn't call this town sleepy as then I will be doing a total injustice to the inherent beauty of this town. It's just too content with itself. It has a small toylike railway station overlooking the lake. Beautiful houses with a small garden in front of them paint the landscape in vivid colors. Huge cowbells hanging in the balcony, snow covered rooftops and the white smoke coming out of the small chimney there, Xmas decorations on the walls and in windows - they are like the houses from the fairytale world. The town also has a funicular railway going up the mountains. With its steep path, this train would be an experience in itself. Lake Brienz is no less beautiful than Thun. It's blue shades are a notch up and the snowy mountain even more beautiful. The dreamworld follows you wherever you go in this part of the world. I don't know how many picture did I click, none of them would be real justice to the beauty of this place, I can say right away.

Rest of the journey on Golden Pass Line was just the continuation of our dream. We were tired after the long walk. So it will be difficult to figure out when we were actually dreaming and when we were living the dream.

Lucerne is one of the major tourist hub in this part of Switzerland. It's really touristic. We did not really want to be the tourists today so a small walk along the famous wooden bridge and we were back to the railway station to catch our train for Mannheim. To our bad-luck the train got late (oh yes, DB is notoriously famous for its late trains in this part of the world) and we missed our connecting train to Bora's private station. A long walk at mid night to find his hostel was not a bad experience. It made me prove once again that I am not bad with directions. :D

A long conversation. Loads of random gossips. That is our time spent in Bora's company. It really skipped my mind that it was Bora's birthday and bloody bugger did not remind me too. So bad!! I am going to make him pay for this sin. What does he think? Just because he is getting older, he won't remind his forgetful foolish friend of a his birthday. He better be beware.

It's 4am and I should really go and sleep now. Nahi to kal alaram se bhi neend nahi khulegi. Nidhesh bhai ne mast bed ka arrangement kiya hai so I am dozing off for a long confy sleep. Over and out

EuroTrip - Day 83

2009-12-07T22:01:00.002+05:30

Snow fall and Swiss Cowbells

I am a jiddi. My mom would not disagree. Hero Puck Turbo, Philips audio system, those numerous clothes, accessories, watches, my decision to go to Bangalore, and to goa and what not! There is a long list of things that I have done that will remind her of my jid. Baring few I will agree to most of the things in this list. I have been jiddi all my life. So last week when I had planned to visit Switzerland once more in the last leg of our EuroTrip, I was more or less sure that I was going to come here. PooCh had his own doubts on my intentions (I still wonder why?) but still I somehow convinced him that we were going to Swiss bhumi once more.

SNCF tried its best to stop us. We found some way nonetheless. A long train journey was the last thing on our wishlist for this last leg of 'EuroTrip 2009'. But when you have got to do it, you have to do it. For most part of the morning and early noon we played the dreaded train-train game to reach Lucerne. Paris - Metz - Strasbourg - Basel - Lucerne - 5 cities, 4 trains and lots of sleep. I recall only the last leg from Basel to Lucern phase as we saw fresh snow outside our window. Damn! you could not open the windows of the Regional trains.

We were to spend very little time in Lucerne before starting the most important train journey of the day - the Golden Pass Line between Lucerne and Interlaken. I had my plans ready. First the visit to Tourist Information(TI) office and then to McDonalds to eat their McVeggi burger. Now even before you imagine me trying to ask some directions in the TI, let me clarify that I had gone there to buy a souvenir that had caught my attention during the last trip to this city. I somehow did not buy it last time and had repented all this while about it. Today, I washed off that sin from the past.

Golden Pass Line was the attraction of the day or for that matter of this EuroTrip. Lucerne to Interlaken - 2 hours of ultimate bliss. Fresh snow fall has changed the swiss landscape. Lush meadows, old houses, small railway stations, tunnels, snowy mountains, blue lakes - imagine nature's beauty and you will find it here. With a childlike curiosity, we jumped from one seat to other so as to not miss the magic of the snow on either side on the train route. It was cold outside, but that did not deter us from opening the window (Thank god! they did not seal windows of this train). We got so amazed that we just did not realize that it was getting really cold inside. I forgive the old lady who reminded us of this and asked us to close the windows. The view from behind the glass window was not bad either. Alas, it was getting dark and we had to drop the idea of getting down at some random station and spend some time playing with snow.

A little drizzle welcomed us in Interlaken. It is a small town in the overlooking three very prominent ranges in Swiss Alpes. Backpackers was my next jid when I had planned this trip. We had to stay in this very famous hostel. Thank god that our goofups during reservation of hostel bed did not cost us this experience. The window in our room gives an amazing view of one of the mountain close by. There are two Australians guys in the room who are on their way to Italy and have stopped here just to take rest. There are two Korean girls who seem to be the usual touristic types and then there is a third girl whom I have seen only once. Interestingly all of us are EuRail pass travelers. Nice coincidence, I must say.

Six o'clock is too early to lock oneself in the hostel. The cute girl at the reception suggested us to take a walk in the old town as there was nothing much to do in this town in nnight except the usual visit to some bar/pub/casino. A quick look at the map and we were out in the snow fields. It takes a map like this to tell that the snow field that we are seeing in front of our hostel is actually a beautiful garden. It had snowed a lot in last couple of days in Interlaken and there is almost 6-8 inch everywhere in the town.

The road linking Interlaken Ost to Interlaken Est station is one of the major tourist hub in this town that is otherwise famous for the variety of adventure sports opportunities it offers. There are loads of souvenir shops (interstingly, most of them run by Chinese) and some beautifully designed restaurants offering the world famous cheese fondue. Old town is close to the Ost station and offers a close look at the traditional swiss architecture. Did I tell you they use so much wood to make those large mansions? Beautiful houses, like those dream mansions that we plan to build when are kid. Wooden carving at its best. Some of them have been standing there for more than 2-3 centuries telling stories about the glorious past that they have seen.

Back in the hostel, everybody seem to going out for dinner and then party, so we were left on our own. A quick look at the bookshelf and I found the lone book in English. It was on some series that is aired on Nickelodeon. Horror, school romance, fun, thriller - all in one. I could not have asked for more. So I made myself comfortable on the cozy sofa and read it in one go. It was nice to read after so long. The hot chocolate made it even more refreshing and fun.

Our room is heated very well and the bed is really confy. I have taken the lower bunker this time giving the upper on to the kid amongst us. We have no fixed plan for tomorrow so we can sleep peacefully. No alarm clock needed for a change.

So that was day 83 of this Eurotrip. It's been a long day full with loads of excitement. We are two of traveling together still there has been loads of silence. I don't mind it as long as there is no specific purpose of the silence. We have talked a lot with each other in last three months anyways.

EuroTrip - Day 82

2009-12-07T15:00:00.000+05:30

The Judgement Day

This post is meant as a declaration that I have almost passed my International Finance course. Today, I sat through the two and half hour long exam and came out satisfied with my performance. I will hopefully get good grades too. However that is just a secondary output. The foremost is that I enjoyed sitting in that examination hall and answering the questions that were thrown at me.

Throughout this course, our professor tried hard to make the subject interesting and exams less scary. And I guess, his efforts have paid off. He has a typical approach to teaching a subject like International Finance. I guess his vast exposure in industry and not-so-academic background should be given credit for this. This is one thing that I have found starkly different in most of the professors here in ESCP. They seem more close to industry than academia. While back home, we are graced with the best of academia in the country. Thus there is a stark difference in the approach. However it will be difficult to judge who's better.

I am missing the classrooms and the cases now. Just a couple of weeks and I am going to immerse myself in the those cases and readings.

God!!! I had never dreamt that one day I will wait to go back to those bulky spiral bound monsters.

EuroTrip - Day 81

2009-12-07T03:00:00.004+05:30

Aal Izz Well

Late night movies are not good for health. Irrespective of the number of hours that you had spent dreaming, you start the day on a lazy note. The more the dreams, the more incomplete your life appears to be. It's the law of the nature.

So while the poha that we were to have for breakfast became khayali poha, we resorted to the usual corn flakes - milk routine. Earlier during this trip, all my attempts of make Poha had met with cruel end (read - it looked and tested more like upma than poha). ConVo was my last hope in this far-far-away land for a nice plate of poha. Somethings were not meant to be. :(

At the Gare Du Nord, ConVo and I tried our luck to get some reservations done. 'No seats' - seems to be the standard answer for most of our requests. The amazingly friendly crew at booking counter is the only grace for SNCF that otherwise sucks with its reservation quota for eurail pass holders. Xmas is around the corner so getting reservations is even more difficult. ConVo dropped the idea of going to Luxembourg (damn! one less in country count). I persisted and finally got a really longer (and complicated) way to enter Switzerland. When you have to go, you have to go.

My last lecture in ESCP was rather dull. Even the presence of cute girl sitting next to me could not keep me awake in the boring one-way-communication called lecture. I wonder, why did I change my plans of staying at home (and studying) and ventured out on a cold and rainy day.

I tried my hands at bread roles one more and it came out even better. However, I really did not enjoy cooking today. I am not sure why. I don't want to cook just to make something to eat. Eating is just one of the end result of cooking process. If I think of it, the lunch was quite special today. Gunda made a nice mix vegetable which made our usual rasam chawal taste special today. A welcome change from eating aloo all the time.

I feel we all become too self centered. Today, this realization ruined my entire evening. I expect next couple of days to be hectic (mentally as well physically). But for now let me claim that I am not the only culprit here in this room. That's the only grace I have.

ps: Listen to this song called "Aal izz well" from 3 idiots. Superb lyrics by Swadanand Kirkire and a catchy tune by Shantanu Moitra. You are going to love it.

I am

2009-12-07T01:57:00.003+05:30

Listening
Mere Paa from the movie Paa (I want it to be the first movie that I watch after reaching home)
The Last Mohicans (This tune is literally haunting me now)
Aal Izz Well from the movie 3 Idiots (probably, I might end up watching this as the first movie after reaching home)

Watching
Wake Up Sid (not bad, though I really think Ranbeer has tried to play Hrithik from Lakshya)
Brave Heart (nice movie with a superb sound track)
Gladiator (watched it to relate to my experience from visiting Colosseum. Awesome movie and soundtrack. I can watch it any number of times)
Fight Club (well... what to say? the more I see this movie, I more I fall in love with it)

Reading
Animal Farm (one of the best of what I have read so far in this life)
Love in the Time of Cholera (I bought this book twice and ended up gifting to someone both the times. Right now reading it from an e-book, will buy a paperbound soon)

Eating
Bread role, Rasam chawal, Frozen parathas and Ready to Eat curries from MTR, McVegi burger (Switzerland rocks), Falafal (everywhere in europe), Bread and Nutella

Playing freecell on my nokia e63.
Doing lots of random shopping for this Xmas
Missing home and everyone there.

I am Pritesh Jain
and this is my life -
One moment at a time.

EuroTrip - Day 80

2009-12-05T07:11:00.000+05:30

Eggjam Time

Finally. Exams are here. As a preparation, I had collected all those textbooks/case materials that had been hiding somewhere in our apartment. My laptop was ready with all the ppts that had been used during the class. On a very short notice, they could come to life and help me in preparation. I was ready for the exams.

Yesterday half the day had gone in the above exercise while rest went in actual task called study.
Today, it was the time to put those learning to use. One after another I was quizzed in three different subjects. And I did well. Hopefully I will pass (too) and will be rewarded with good grades.

The highlight of the day was the presentations in Negotiations class. As expected, everyone had put lots of effort in doing the small little exercise called introspection and had come with some real concrete action plans. My action plan seemed very ordinary in front of the well researched plan that everyone had put forward. It was important to me nonetheless. It was my action plan to improve my negotiations skills. Hopefully, I will be able to convert it into real action too and see some results.

I have just one class tomorrow and I am mostly in mood to bunk that class. The exam on Friday is a tough one and I know I need to do some real work to get good grades in that. Alas, this time I will be the only one preparing for this exam. I will have to put all the efforts myself.

ConVo and Gunda are in town and they are staying with us tonight. From our visa interview in Mumbai to today's (almost) night out in Paris, ConVo has been an good company to say the least. An interesting one that is. It's an Indorian gang at home tonight. I hope we get up well in time tomorrow to make some poha for breakfast.

For now, it's time to enjoy garma garam rasam chawal for midnight dinner and then Wake Up Sid. There could not have been any better way to celebrate the fact that we were half done with our exams here in ESCP. I am loving it.

EuroTrip - Day 79

2009-12-03T07:10:00.000+05:30

30th Nov - Monday

Mark this day in golden letters. It deserves the recognition. I spent almost the entire day doing studies. Yes, almost the ENTIRE DAY doing STUDIES. A rare and historical event of sort it is. There are three exams staring at our faces. So we don't have any option.

The day started with making a personal action plan to incorporate my learning from the course called "Positional Bargaining: Negotiation Workshop." An introspective account of my experience in last couple of months in that class. It was good. I am pretty sure I have done an honest work and tried to be creative too. Tomorrow, I will get to know the feedback from the class so hopefully there be a reality check.

The preparation for the course "Big Management Fads" followed. As the name sounds, the exam is also kind of fraud. Multiple choice multiple answers question from the things that were discussed in last 4 classes. It's an open book, open notes exam. However, I know I am not going to carry anything except my notes from the class (oh yea, I did make some notes here. 14 pages in total in my spiral notebook). A quick glance of the ppts (that the professor has readily shared) and the articles that were used as part of discussions and I was all set.

Last but most importantly, the group presentation for Marketing Strategy. We had a marathon meeting last Thursday and the group had almost finalized the ppt that was to be used in the presentation. Just a couple of big arguments to fix small details needed to be completed. And we did a group meeting for that. That too a group meeting in college (and not on skype). I just can not imagine me doing something like this in start of this term. But, I did go all the way to college to attend one meeting. And all we did in that meeting was to decide a theme that defined our team. It was a mendatory requirement for the presentation. Now that was disappointing, I had not come all the way to do just this. I had expected to see some discussions and arguments on the contents and design (did I tell you, we used a pink colored template) of the presentation. But all these group wanted to discuss what animal/song/line defines our team perfectly. And it just hit me. I don't know from where my creative (or not-so-creative) senses sprung into action and I threw blurted themes after theme. Sample this:

"They don't really care about us" - This is what our customers say about our firm and its products.
"E for Elephant.. oh no.. it is A for Ailment" - I wanted to call ourselves Elephant. haughty and really inflexible. We just could not take dynamic decisions. But Elephant starts with E and we wanted to make it beginning with A so we chose Ailment. Coz we could never identify the ailment that had made us suffer.
"Little moments of Joy" - We had reached 3rd position for a duration of one period and then our eternal fall started.
"Clueless" - We just did not have any clue of what was happening around us.

After a lot of crazy laughter and dirty looks, I settled for something less dramatic and came up with this lines from "The road not taken" by Robert Frost. It just fits our situation and the way we have behaved in this game. I am glad that the team appreciated it too and we have decided to call ourselves the team that took the road not taken. Here are the lines...

"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

I guess I am all set to face the exams tomorrow. Wish me luck.

EuroTrip - Day 78

2009-12-03T05:15:00.001+05:30

Christmas is all around me

One more of those unplanned journeys. We took train for Bern but got down at Zurich. A not-so-bright Sunday morning. Everyone is fast asleep as expected. Including the city. Empty roads - a welcome change, I must say. A new map and one more of those longs walks. To another lake front. Blue waters. And snowy mountains in the horizon. Morning dose of jogging and joggers.

Loss of purpose.

Return journey to find it back. Another long walk. Hundreds of shops and their glittering displays. No touch or smell - just the sight. Window shopping in true sense. A hot cup of coffee and veg burger in the McDonalds. A luxury mall with its festive decoration. "Welcome sir, may I help you?" I wish you could. Out of place and time. Running back to the real world. Migros. Lindt and some store brands. Shopping ville in the basement of Zurich railway station. And the Xmas market above it. Billy Mack singing.

I feel it in my fingers,
I feel it in my toes,
Christmas is all around me,
and so the feeling grows

It's written in the wind,
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love Christmas,
C'mon and let it snow?

Train-train to go back home. Fcuk SNCF. Fcuk TGV. We are back to reality. Slow locals rock. 10pm arrival on a freezing night. Home sweet home. Rasam Chawal at midnight. A good night sleep. I am coming back to life.

Lakshya

2009-12-02T05:05:00.000+05:30

My GK is failing me once more but the dozens of handsome hunks flaunting their fascinating army uniforms make be believe that Switzerland has a compulsory army stint for its young men. I have seen them in all the train journeys that I have taken so far in this country. Their well groomed appearances, typical backpacks and most importantly an even more typical army way of conversing and joking - it reminds me every bit of a person I wanted to become one day. I wanted to join Army for all these, let me accept it today. I guess, my parents did well to stop me get blinded by these charming face of army life.

Actually, if I look back today, I realize that there never were any serious discussions about me joining army, except a couple of mentions of Short Service Commission during my high school years. Mom wanted me to become a Collector (an IAS, not a ticket collector!!). Dad never really told me about his dreams for me. Him being a banker, one thing was sure that I had to study well and do something on my own. There was no question for succession. Moreover I knew from start that there was no way I could let their hardwork go rewarded by taking up just another job. Engineering and the job after that were my own decisions. So was the decision to quit job and join a business school. What I do for a living after my MBA will also be my decision only. But I know for sure, that my parents have put their full faith in all these decisions and have supported me with their heart and sense. I have no options but to take the wisest of the decisions and do my best to ensure that its in best interest of everyone. Now, after engagement, I have more expectations to take care of and there are many more dreams that need to be brought into reality. I know I have a companion who will support me in all these and more. I pray to God that we make our parents proud and happy.

ps: I just loved the movie Lakshya. I don't know why but I could not think of any other title for this post.

EuroTrip - Day 77

2009-11-30T05:14:00.003+05:30

On the Top of the World

Presently the Swiss countryside has only three colors - that of green grass, white snow and the golden winter sun. Trust me you won't even ask for any more color. It's just as beautiful as it could get. Might sound cliche but I have to tell - if there is heaven anywhere on earth, it is in Switzerland. I have fallen in love with this place. I am not putting my camera to too much work as I know it just cannot capture the Swiss beauty. You have to be here to enjoy it (I know how much everyone will curse me for saying things like this! Still)

After spending a quiet day in Geneva, it was time to see some real Swiss attraction - snow capped mountain tops. And what better place to do that then Mount Titlis. Situated close to the beautiful city of Lucerne (Luzerne), this is one of the most beautifully developed tourist attraction in this country and is part of every travel plan. For Swiss people, it is one of those place where they come to every now and then to unwind themselves by skiing down some of the most exciting slopes in Swiss Alps.

In Mt. Titlis you meet only two kinds of people - those who are skiing enthusiasts or those who are Indians. There are just too many of us visiting this place. Bollywood movies and SOTCs of the world have heavily sold this region of Switzerland as the best honeymoon destination. Swiss tourism now does not need to do much apart from putting some instructions in Hindi. The local businesses have adapted well too. You can find Paneer Butter Masala being served in the restaurant at the top of Titlis (that is at a height of 3200m asl). They just can not afford to ignore Indians anymore.

Mt Titlis is an experience presented in a golden platter. It starts with a train journey in red toy-like narrow gauge train that takes you through beautiful Swiss countryside in an hour long journey from Luzerne to Engelberg. Don't mind, if half the bogey is filled with Indians. You might wonder why they have not yet started selling chana jor garam in this train yet!!

Towards the end of journey, this train almost converts into a funicular climbing steep hilly terrain at tortoise speed. The speedway runs alongside the train route most of the time. DJ had been suggesting me that we should do a car trip in Swiss countryside. Today, it became clear why he had been saying so.

Engelberg is a sleepy little town (or at least that is what it appeared to be) in the base of Alps. It is surrounded by snow capped mountains from all the sides and is a base for some very popular adventure sports destinations. However a bright sunny day compelled us to not 'waste' any time in this beautiful town and directly start the cable car journey.

It takes a journey of around 40 minutes in three different cable cars to reach the peak of Mt Titlis. The first cable car just takes you from the dark alpine forests to start of snow covered hills. A foreplay of a kind, it just gets you excited well enough of the things that you are about the experience.

The second phase of cable car journey is done in a bigger gondola that takes you almost midway to the peak at a stop called Stand. This is where you start seeing the skiers in action. While a lot of them will be lazying after a quick journey down the slope from the top, others are getting ready for their turn. The last gondola from here is a special one. Its a revolving one giving you a panoramic view of terrain and takes you to the mountain top that is situated at 3020 m asl. This last 600 mtr long segment is the best part of the cable car experience. Incidentally, this was first of its kind revolving areal cable car to be installed in the entire world.

The thermometer was reading -9 degree at the top. There were snowy winds awaiting to welcome us as soon as we got out of the gondola and crossed the huge commercial complex. And there we went. Right away in the snow. Without even checking on our preparations to do so. First touch of the snow and we were ecstatic. It just did not occur to me that dressing up in snowy winds could be harmful. Like a warrior, I removed my gloves to check on my jacket and in that process exposed them to snowy winds for a long time. Next hour or so, I was just praying to god to save me from any snow bite or chill blitz (damn Bora!). My hands were getting frozen and it was difficult to even bend my fingers. I could feel the pain but there was no way I could stop playing with snow. It was my first time of seeing so much of snow. All around. Snow white mountain tops - till the horizon in every direction. We were on top of the world.

The skiers all around us were enjoying their rounds. It's a different world out there for them. High of excitement and passion. Excitement can be contagious. We tried our hands at walking and rolling on the snow. And then we took the "Ice Flyer" glacier chairlift that offers breathtaking views of the crevasses on the glacier at the top of the Titlis. It could not have been better than this. The chilly winds got colder and colder and we lost track of everything. I just knew that I had to do one thing - make a call. Titlis has a big transmission tower for Swiss Telecom, the second best thing they did after making the Rotair cable car. Every soul needs to be in this heaven with their loved ones. Or at least get a chance to talk to them. :D

We had lost track of time, of our self and of everything. That's the euphoria of this place. We were in heaven. If not heaven, it was his second cousin for sure. The best of what I have seen so far. Our return journey and then search for food in the beautiful town of Engelberg was really insignificant compared to what we had experienced. It takes time to coming back to reality. Who wants do that anyways?

ps: I have taken a couple of videos and lots of photos, just in case if I could not describe my experience better. I knew that I will really find myself short of words. As I had spent time writing this post, I am posting here. I will upload the videos and photos soon.

EuroTrip - Day 76

2009-11-30T05:13:00.006+05:30

Everything Swiss

4:30 am is still night for all practical purposes. It's just insane to imagine getting up at that hour and running to the station to catch a train on a chilly winter morning. If one could do this after having slept only at 1:30am, he should be awarded atleast a symbolic kNighthood. To make it easy for you let me directly state it - "you can call me Sir from now on". 'Coz I have done it.

Alas, PooCh could not do it due to his never ending kutto vali khansi. He decided to stay back and do some recovery before hitting the road. I can imagine how hard this decisions was. But when gharwalo and gharwali put pressure, one does not have much choice. :D

So HotTiii and Boondiii it was. For the first time. It was going to be an interesting trip - Hyper enthusiast meets Seriousness personified. He wanted to go to CERN while I wanted to sit on the lake front. And so we did. Geneva is a cosmopolitan city. It has done well to develop its modernistic face - the world class shopping street, business district with head quarters of some of the world renowned banks and the head offices of some of the most prestigious institutions like UN and Red Cross - while preserving the charming old town.

People never fail to amaze you. I would have almost missed the heritage of this city, if one old lady had not approached us asking "do you need any help?" We really needed it. A map does not tell you anything. It's the people who talk. One just need to start of a conversation. Conversation with real strangers. I really feel ashamed to admit that I am not very good at it. Still, I have seen some improvements in last couple of trips and I know I am going to do well on this aspect. She gave us a brief history of town and guided our way through the most important sight. We just needed a small boost, she gave us a power doze. A quick round to cover the usual one cathedral, one garden and one public building tour of the city. Hidden amongst the usual European city attractions was a beautiful Russian church. It's stands apart from everything else I have seen so far because its uniquely shaped golden domes. It is also one of the fewer places of worship where we have actually seen people doing prayers. For the first time I saw peace prevailing in a church. It's such a precious thing in this tourist friendly world.

A walk around the lake and you will see the world famous flower clock. Finally, a clock in the city of watches. The who's who of world known watch brands origin in Swiss, most of them in Geneve. You can see most of them in the streets close the lake. It's a shoppers paradise out there. Brands and brands. Deals everywhere. It's Xmas time.. yuhooo...

There is an themed display of work by some artists on abstract things around the lake which is interesting too. I wonder why there are so many working on random abstract things in this part of the world. Why are they always in search for deeper more complex meanings and interpretation of life and things.

A little rain here and there made day even more interesting. A walk along the lake front and then some silent moments sitting next to the lighthouse watching the tiny waves making splash in the sand. Sounds like a sea shore right? It was not my dream. It's lake Geneve in its real beauty. You need to give it some time to unravel itself. I am happy that I gave it that time.

A lot of window shopping then the train to St Gallen. Yash is an enthu host I must say. Pav bhaji is one of my favorite and he made it almost perfectly. Some long conversations and then a peaceful sleep.

Switzerland is famous for its chocolates, knives, watches and cowbells. People come here to enjoy its snowy mountains. I have not yet scene any of it. But I guess I am going to love this country. It has been a great start for the trip.

ps:
Theory of Relativity
Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.
- Albert Einstein
(Read it in a restaurant)

1: The flower clock in Geneva is just like the one in Baroda. Unfortunately Gujrat is not famous for Guj Watches.
2. The day is also dedicated to those kids that boarded our train. The school going kids seemed so carefree and happy with their life. Ignore that they were a little high on the red vine.
3. McDonalds in Switzerland serve a vegetarian burger. They are the only one to do that in the whole of Europe I guess.

EuroTrip - Day 75

2009-11-30T05:13:00.003+05:30

26th Nov - Thursday

Time for a good news. Bruges' nomination as a probable destination for my honeymoon trip has been accepted by the lady. Bruges came as a challenge to undisputed champion - the Switzerland. It implies that now I have an implicit permission to visit Switzerland as part of this EuroTrip. My loved ones will surely be disappointed to know this. Sorry people, I just could not wait. ;-)

We leave for Geneva tomorrow morning. That's the only bit of planning that we have done so far. But before we leave, there is a class to be attended and a couple of assignments to be finished. One of those being a presentation for the final class of Strategic Marketing course. I spent the whole day today working on this presentation along with a couple of group-mates (the same girls who found a mention on this blog long back for yelling at me) and let me accept that it was real fun today. We spent almost 6 hours trying to justify poor performance by our team. We have tried our best to be honest. I hope the professors agrees to them too.

Tomorrow, we catch 5:40am train from Gare Du Lyon. That means we will have to leave home even before 5am. I wonder what had stuck me when I had gone to book tickets. The lady at ticketing window had confirmed at least thrice with me about the timings. It just did not struck me that what she was hinting at. Silly me. :(

EuroTrip - Day 74

2009-11-30T05:11:00.003+05:30

Baba School & Libertease

The winter has arrived in Paris. We are kind of used to temperatures around 10 degrees now. It's the chilly winds that make us shiver every time we go out. The cloudy weather makes it even worse. It has taken the fun out of walking on the beautiful Paris roads. Now a days, We have been using metro more often than ever.

Yesterday, I had final exam for one of the subjects. It's that time of the trimester when you really can not avoid 'studying'. Back home, this phase lasts just a couple of days. But here, they prefer to have in-class exams and the randomness of schedules have stretched this exam phase to a whole of three weeks. In a sense, it should be beneficial for us as we will get ample time to prepare for the exams and get good grades. Did I hear - 'what a joke!!' Haha. I accept. That was a muggu joke.

The college is buzz with activities right now. Elections for the BDE (an equivalent of student council) is a really grand affair. Mad Is On (Baba School) and the DayLightFul (Libertease) are the two groups/gangs/teams that are competing for the prestigious BDE. They have been campaigning for this election for quite some time now. It's just that we did not realize that the daily parties that were thrown in the school premises were the mode of canvassing for such an elections. Free food, drinks and games have been a regular feature of these parties. However, last few days before election saw even grander events. While one team built up an artificial ice skating ring in the campus, other converted it into a go-carting arena. Free food and drinks were topped with free messages from trained masseurs, quick makeup help from experts, sumo wrestling, PS consoles in the halls and loads and loads of freebies. And not to mention, there were dance parties. Parties that get really wild. All this just for BDE? I think, I still don't understand the system. These parties were bloody expensive affairs. I have not had chance to listen to their debate (oh yes, they actually do such things as debate and manifestos too) but I have one of the manifesto with me. It's very creative and french. I will have to spend some quality time with google translator to figure out the details of the ideas on which these elections are fought. For now, we are just enjoying the party. The campus is livelier than ever and that's the best thing that these elections have offered us.

I had a presentation today in Consumer Behavior. It was based on an article titled 'Extended Self and Possessions in the Workplace.' In simple terms, it talked about how people today personalize their office workspace (cubicles) to express themselves. From the word go this article just made me go 'wow'. It reminded me of the every object that I had kept in my cubicle in all those years of jobs/internships and tried to explain hidden meaning in them. I felt as if the author had written it with me in mind. I really loved each moment of it.

BTW, did I tell you that now yours truly can boast of having the secret recipe of bread rolls. Thanks Tanya for sharing that with me. For others, now you have one more reason to come my home for the breakfast. :D

EuroTrip - Day 73

2009-11-30T04:45:00.002+05:30

TitBits

A Swiss Bank Account
Yesterday a German friend of mine told me that he is a proud owner of a 'swiss bank account'. He had opened it while he was studying in Luzerne and then just did not feel like closing it even after leaving Switzerland.

Life in a Metro
What do two Indian guys do when the couple sitting next to them gets super passionate and get going? Against all general perceptions, they sit silent. Their awkwardness makes them stare in all possible directions except the couple. Interestingly, even though both of them are in same situation, they hardly look at each other or talk about it.

The American Ways
Only an American professor can come to class with a beer can in hand and finish it while teaching. Only he can talk about what his step-son has cooked for dinner and how he looks forward to go home for that. If you hear 'Son of A Gun' during a lecture, take my word - the professor is an American.

Man on the Street
Go to any popular tourist spot anywhere in Europe and you will find some Indian (he could be a Pakistani or Bangladeshi too) selling the souvenirs on the street. Afros and Blacks are his eternal competitors everywhere he goes. You can bargain hard with him. And at least once, he will try to let you believe that he is from your country and thus wants to do a fair business with you.
In contrast, you will find lots of European doing creative work to earn their livelihood. They are the street artists performing and entertaining the travelers. And they hardly talk about their nationality.

iPod therefore I am
My rough calculations say that atleast one third of the commuters on Paris Metro own an iPod. The number of people owning a smart-phone is roughly the same too. Almost one forth of them like to read something (from a news paper to French translation of Ramayana) while traveling in the Metro.

Bata
For most part of my life, I believed that Bata is an Indian brand. When I was a kid, this was the biggest shoe brand I was aware of. It's an altogether different thing that, like most of the other kids like me, I always aspired for Action Shoes; Bata was my Dad's brand. It was kind of a sad feeling to see the fall of this brand in Indian market (or atleast that is what my perception is) and transformation into a brand that survives on Half Price Sales.

However, its an altogether different story in Europe, where Bata competes with the who's who of the brands and shares the prime locations in the poshest of the shopping districts in most of the cities. Unarguably, it really is the only 'Indian' brand that I have seen in whole of Europe.
For the marketer in you (and me) the questions is 'how is it possible to have such a contrast positioning for a global brand in two different countries?'

And for those of you who don't really know about the history and origin of brand Bata, here is a clue. It was born in Czech Republic. Find more information here.

EuroTrip - Day 72

2009-11-25T13:04:00.002+05:30

Just 18 days More

Eventually it has happened. The countdown has begin. My counting says that today was my 72nd day in Europe and that means that just another 18 days before I go back home. Home sweet home. And just over 27 days before I go back to campus. I am waiting desperately for both of them.

Today was another boring day in history of EuroTrip 2009. Our laziness index has hit the roof by now. I am pretty sure that Paris weather has something to do with it. Glooming sky and chiller winds trap your inside the four walls of whatever you call your office/home/college. I have been sitting here in my sofa-cum-bed for over 12 hours now and I can tell you that there is no fun in that.

So many times, we thought we should go out somewhere. Somewhere. Anywhere. Just go out of this room. But the laziness just killed any motivation that would have pushed us to venture out. It takes efforts go get up, get ready and get going you know. And hence, energy conservation is what we did the whole day today.

There are a couple of exams/presentation coming up this week. I still have to prepare for them. Today was supposed to be reserved for them. So I better do a little justice and get back to my books.

EuroTrip - Day 71

2009-11-23T23:57:00.003+05:30

Happy Birthday Creamiii

Now you might want to question what kind of name Creamiii is! I let you take the freedom. I can just tell you that it is outcome of a limited creativity on part of a bunch of drunk tuchchas. I thank god that they were sane enough to give me as decent a name as Boondiii. Talking about Creamiii, this guy 'Ankur' was the first soul I met in IIMA. He had been allotted D3-R22 and he had settled there by the time I reached my room D3-R23. Impressive arrangement in the room, I must say. He was to be my neighbor for next two years. In next couple of weeks, I realized that I was surrounded by some of the best souls in this campus. In next couple of months GMBC.inc was born in the D3 dungeon and we all became part of it. GMBC has spent crazy times together as one gang. And I know we will continue to do it for a long time.

Today there is one branch of it open in Paris with Ankit, Ankur and Me as its members. GMBC.eu lets call it. We had some really amazing moments during the Barcelona trip and now it was time to celebrate a very special moment. It was Ankur's birthday yesterday and we just could not miss a chance to do the ritualistic birthday bumps. And then there is always a birthday treat. Aur phir birthday treat ke liye to ham kuch bhi kar sakte hai. :D

So we met. For a lavish lunch and then for a trip to the city of Paris (for Ankur, who lives in a village/subrub, Paris is actually a different city). We employed our best cooks (read me) and made a grand lunch - HotTiii's Tadka Daal, chawal and PJ's special Aloo sabji. Son papadi to end the lunch on a sweeter note (it's very difficult to find eggless cakes you know!). And we ate like kings. I hope Ankur liked the food coz I know others (read my roommates) are too indifferent of my cooking skills.

Our tourist day was going to guided by a shopping list that had arrived from India. Start with Arce de Triomphe, then a walk through Avenue des Champs-Élysées followed by some peaceful moment at Grande Arche, back to some (window) shopping at Galeries Lafayette and then end of the day at Eiffel Tower enjoying the light show - that was the plan.

Now If I can take the freedom, let me talk about two new entities that got mentioned in this list. This is just for the sack of completeness.

Arce de Triomphe - it is a replica of India Gate (or was it the other way?? Whatever!!). A huge gate and a small amar jawan jyoti in the mid. Unlike India Gate, you can get close to the gate and actually can go up too. There will be hundreds of tourists on either side, you being one amongst them.

Avenue des Champs-Élysées: It's the luxury street of the Paris. The who-s-who of retail brands have their outlets here to make their presence felt. Louis Vuitton has one of its biggest showroom on this street. There is Lido and a couple of theaters. And there are various galleries that are actually big malls in themselves. The best place to window shop coz everybody knows that they just can not afford to buy anything (unless of course if you are a Japanese tourist or a winner from 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'.). Still there are shops where you enter and there are shops where you don't even dare to enter. This is the beauty of the human psychology behind retail. I remember one of the post I wrote about a quote from Maximum City. Read the post here.

Amidst those shops selling dreams, we spotted a Starbucks Coffee. It was time to fulfil one of our dreams. To have a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Such an insignificant dream na? I don't deny that. Read the title of my blog and you will know I am a man who cherishes 'little moments of joy'. Starbucks is at the forefront of retailers who are selling experience and after hearing so much about it in all those classes of marketing and strategy, I had to feel it first hand. Luckily, other two guys felt the same way and we were right there in the queue ordering our first cup of Startbucks Coffee. Anything great? Not love at first sight, I can tell for sure. For anything beyond that, I will have to have more such dates. I had my fun at Starbucks and that is more than enough. Sometimes the people around you make a lot of difference. A great company can make it a memorable day. I am on my way to another such day, I am pretty sure.

An untimely rain almost spoilt our plan to walk till Grande Arche and we had to detour and take train to Galeries Lafayette but not before having a good look at the festive events and exhibition shops. It's Xmas time, every nook and corner of this street seems to say you. Ho ho ho.. Santa can come anytime.

To our bad luck, Galeries Lafayette remains closed on a Sunday. Unbelievable but true. Here they still respect work life balance and shops do get closed on atleast one day in the week. It was still a good place to be nonetheless. There were amazingly beautiful decoration done on the facade as well as on the displays along the wall. And street artists had captured the space to entertain the tourists like us. A couple of magical moments and work of art captured and collected for memories and we proceeded on our way to Gare Du Nord. A nice south Indian dinner was waiting for us in some restaurant. Masala Dosa and Sambhar Vada are delicacies that we have been missing for over two months now. Today it was the occasion to treat ourselves. The treat was on Ankur afterall. :D I can tell you the Dosa was as good as you will get in most part of India. Thin and Crisp. You could not ask for more.

PooCh and me were reached Eiffel just in time for the 8pm special light and sound show. Sadly Ankur had to leave for his village (or subrub whatever it is) and could not come to Eiffel. This was the second time I was coming to Eiffel and was third time I was to form an opinion for his beauty. It looks simply stunning in those dancing lights. No monument can beat its beauty at that very moment. An engineering marvel from last century meets the latest technology from today to create a marvelous experience. These light and sound performances are being done every night to commemorate something. Do try to make it to Eiffel by 8pm if you can. You will never forget what you get to see.

From Paris

Paris is turning out to be a real fun city. There are so many things that you can explore and visit only if you plan to spend plenty of time in this city. For once, I am really happy that I chose a college that is situated right in the mid of this city. I wouldn't have got a chance to see all these places and get these experience if I had been to any other place. I am really happy we decided to spend today like this. It was a day worth every moment. I hope we made it special for Ankur too. It was his belated birthday you know!

ps:Experience makes a man perfect. See today how safely I described Eiffel's beauty without mixing it up in any comparison to my fiancee. :)

ps2: The ritual birthday bumps are still pending. We did not know if it was safe enough to beat a living person like the way we do it in campus. You never know the laws in a foreign land. The wooden floor does not help in such matter too. pata nahi kab toot jaaye.... So the rituals will be completed in India with celebrations with a formal invitational ppt and cakes.

EuroTrip - Day 70

2009-11-23T02:39:00.003+05:30

Fontainebleau, La Défense and an almost broken nose

Some days are better spent unplanned. Planning kills the romance. After having traveled so much in last couple of months, we have reached a saturation phase. Our days no more start at 6 am as there are no early morning trains to catch. We visit Facebook more frequently than bahn.de. The number of starred mails in my inbox has come down drastically. And yes most important of them all, we are taking bath on a daily basis now. :D

But it does not mean that we are not traveling at all. We are not yet caged in these four walls that we call home. If that was our agenda, India would have been a far cheaper place. We are doing small trips in and around Paris now. I feel ashamed to accept that we have not done any real sight seeing in this city as yet. So it clearly is the right time now to explore this city called Paris from close.

So after doing justice to a lazy morning (ready lazying around in our sofa bed), PooCh and me loaded ourselves with three of the greatest weapons that a traveler in this part of world should own - a EuRail Pass, a Paris Metro pass for a day and map of Île-de-France - and hit the road.

Fontainebleau, situated around an hour distance from Paris center was to be our first destination for the day. This commune is renowned for the large and scenic forest of Fontainebleau (which, incidentally, we did not know), the beautiful historical Château de Fontainebleau ( incidentlly again, we did not know about it) and is the home of INSEAD, one of the world's most elite business schools (Oh yes, we knew it). Taking TARDi's feedback on its face value, we had planned to visit the this town for it's 'beautiful garden'. For the first time, we did not bother about approaching the tourist information office (See how much confidence we have now on our tourist sense!) and we just reached the garden. Not bad, I must say. The garden was huge (actually a notch higher than huge) and it was green and had a big lake (with monstrous white ducks). There were people doing their morning rounds of jogging (at 2pm). What I loved the most about this place is that it had the silence. It had the silence of a jungle. I could hear the chirping of the birds. And I know I was at the right place. The splendid Château was right in front of me, but I knew I did not want to go there. I had found what I was searching for and that's it. I was at peace. And when you are at peace, whatever you speak comes right from your heart. Me and PooCh did not need to do 'random bakar' for a change today. We spoke about things that matter to us (atleast I did). I really admire this quality of PooCh. He is a good company whatever is the mood around. He can be part of any discussion in any group and let the group feel his presence. Random bakar or some profound discussions - he is the man. I, on the other hand, really get switched off in many situations. Can this art be learnt, I don't know. But if it can be, I know who will be the biggest 'guru'.

On our way to the garden, we had chanced to pass by a huge Carrefour outlet (one of those outskirts biggie) and we knew that we had to visit it on the way back. We are children of this consumption age you know. So we did. It's a huge world out there inside those four walls. There are loads and loads of brands trying to capture your attention. We did not see many offers (as expected, I can tell from my SRM class learnings) but then there were loads of store brands (again, as expected). People come here prepared to literally stock up their houses. We, on the other hand, were just exploring things that could serve as our lunch for the day. And we found Popcorn. One that was really affordable. The decision did not take much time. It's been more than two months since we munched those yummi things (I never realized, things like this will matter so much). A couple of biscuit packets and a bottle of sprite and we were on our way to railway station. Our next stop was going to be business district of Paris - La Défense.

For two whole months, we had seen just one side of Paris - that of culture and tradition. La Défense was to be our first interaction with its business side. It's the area where the who-s-who of French companies have their offices. With high-risers and glass-and-concrete giants, it presents a totally difference face of Paris. The difference becomes visible in the metro station itself. The station can beat many an airports with its design and the kind of shops it has accommodated. Xmas celebrations have already started so the decorations have gone up manifolds. If you are a 'mall' person, then this is your area. The malls are huge and have the biggest of the stores. If our afternoon was dedicated to visiting Carrefour, the evening went to Toys-R-Us. A child's heaven, this shop has a superb collection of toys and kids' items. Thank god the really high prices, else I and the kid with me (read PooCh) would have surely been down by a couple of dozens of Euros by end of the day.

We did spend a couple dozen Euros (together) shopping some other useful stuff though in some other shop. At times it is just too irresistible. The shops are plenty and have done very well in presenting their offerings. The only way to escape getting lured is to come out of the mall as quick as you can.

Arche de la Défense or simply as La Grande Arche welcomes you there. The modern day replica of Arc de Triomphe is at the westernmost extremity of Paris' 10 km long Historical Axis, which starts at the Louvre in Central Paris and continues along the Champs-Élysées, well beyond the Arc de Triomphe before culminating at La Défence. This 110 m high gate shaped building is meant as a monument to humanity and humanitarian ideals rather than military victories (as in the case of Arc de Triomphe). A photographer's love, this place offers a very beautiful view of La Défence and also Champs-Élysées. Currently the festive celebrations are going on making it really alive. A really nice place to spend your evening staring at the well-lit concrete monsters and ofcourse the Arc De Triomphe in a distance.

I will also remember this place for an almost broken nose. They have put some glass panels randomly (I guess to direct the winds so as not to hurt the temporary constructions in the area) but have forgotten to put sufficient warning. It was my luck or foolishness (I don't know which one) that I went and banged my face straight into one such glass panel saying these word 'bechare kitne jaakar takara jaate honge in glasses par' (or something like that, PooCh you might help me with those exact words). Irony is the word I guess. It was really a bang. The biggest I have had in recent time. The sound could be heard to a good distance. I am happy that my spectacles and my nose both are intact (it would have costed equally bad to have repaired any of those here in Paris).

It's time to do some damage control and take some rest. Tomorrow, it's a crucial day for all PGP2s. We go through our ritualistic bidding process for course selection in the wee hours (Paris time). It means that I should have slept early. But then for some unknown reasons, I started watching Fight Club. Once I start this movie, it's difficult to stop. It's going to be a long night, I am sure. I don't complaint. It has been a very good day and the longer it is, the more memorable it will become. I am Jack's greedy soul.

In Rome

2009-11-22T05:11:00.003+05:30

We heard these guys in Rome first. Enchanting is the word for their music. Thanks HotTiii for finding them on youtube.

I remember listening to this tune in some Hindi movie. My guess is that either it was Koyla or Karan Arjun. A Rakesh/Rajesh Roshan work for sure.

And for record, this is the original composition from which the inspiration is taken by the group. Another amazing piece of music.

EuroTrip - Day 69

2009-11-21T13:34:00.002+05:30

Friday Night Fever

It feels nice to get up one morning realizing that your bank account has been replenished. You don't need to worry about that extra euro that you might spend to quench your thirst on a chilly afternoon. That you don't need to feel guilty for the word 'spending' itself. It feels so nice to even to imagine such a day. I woke up today doing the same. Now I am hoping that such miracles do take place in this world. Life will be beautiful then.

Talking about money, I have always wondered why these people have a currency denomination called 'cents'. It just does not have any value without another denomination called a 'euro'. I have collected dozens of 1 cents by now (I hate carrefour for that) and I know I will end up carrying them back home and using as souvenirs. It just not make any sense to take two hundred of them to a shop to buy a can of sprite. You just can not buy anything in those cents unless the count up to a euro.

Coming back to world of crazy dreams (I am going to juggle back and forth between some topics today). I feel dreams and abstractism have one thing in common. They are open to interpretation and you are bound to get different interpretation given different people, same person at different time, or for that matter the same person, same time but different mood.

We visited Pompidou today. The temple for people who worship abstract art. This inside out building hosts the Centre national d'art et de culture and is open to public for over three decades now. It hosts a permanent exhibition (in Musée national d'art moderne) as well as some temporary ones to showcase the work of some well known and some not so well known artists of our time. As apparent from the name of the place, the idea is to promote modern art. Currently, the central exhibition is focused on work by around 200 female artists from around the world to emphasis on the importance of women artists in 20th century art. Around 500 works of art are used to portray the way these artists have explored various topics ranging from sexuality to modern notions of junk. They have used various media such as paintings, sculptures, plastics as well as photography and videos. There are rooms dedicated to each artists or on a particular theme and apart from just a brief description from the artists they are left open to interpretation by the viewers.

I must tell you I have not seen so much of abstract work in one place. I just fell in love with it. Each piece of work is so different and can convey so many meanings. At times, I had a feeling that even I could do something like this - a lot of things were just too normal and we tend to ignore them from the word go. But then I realize that even if I could do it, I did not do it. These artists did it because they had the courage to do it. They did not bother what the world will think about them after seeing their work. And because of this courage that today people like me stand in front of those same works of art and appreciate them. Somewhere I read "I do what I want to do. Others do what they can." I guess it beautifully sums up my thoughts.

It was a sunny morning to start the day but as the day progressed the clouds covered the blue sky. I just hate such weather where the cloudy sky leave in anticipation of rains. You just feel too lazy and bored. A long walk turned out to be so boring that I literally felt sick of it. I have never felt so tired after a walk back home from college. I'm too tired to do anything useful now and I guess will hit the bed pretty early. It's my way to enjoy the Friday night.

EuroTrip - Day 68

2009-11-20T05:56:00.002+05:30

Buddha is smiling again

Because the apple has finally fallen. A long wait. Some nerve wracking tense times giving way to moment of elation. I had dreamt about it recently. I just could not believe when I heard about it first time. I wanted to check it myself and I did the same. And yes, it did happen. The apple did fall.

I am talking nonsense right? It indeed is nonsense. For a majority of you in this world. But it matters a lot to me. Because it proves that there is still an element of luck in my favor. I don't want to attribute it entirely to luck. That will undermine the persistent efforts that we had put in. It's just that our efforts have finally fructified and I am mood to celebrate this moment.

It's 2:30 am Paris time. By this time a lovely sun would have risen in most part of India. I can not wait any more to call home and give them the news. Sometime this time differences make all the differences. I distinctly remember waking up my sleeping parents at around midnight when my IIMB admission result had come. I just could not wait then. I just could not wait today.

It's a new day now.

My iPod had the same playlist for more than 6 months for now. I just cannot imagine how did I let it happen. A new playlist is on its way. Karunesh and Coldplay are back on the list. I hope to find my Lucky Ali collection soon. It's been a long time since I heard him.

I just finished watching Pulp Fiction. Finally. I feel no shame in admitting that I did not fully understand the movie but I loved it nonetheless. I guess I will spend some time reading about it and other work by Quintine Tarantino before giving this movie one more shot. I want to watch a couple of Raj Kapoor movies too. They have been doing rounds in my mind for quite some time now. Now that my vacations is about to end, I hope to get back to my movie watching schedules soon [Isn't it ironical that I watch less movies during vacation as compared to during the college time?].

PS: Smiling Buddha was the code name for the missing to conduct the first nuclear test in Pokhran. Buddha smiled again when we successfully tested our nuclear technology for the second time in Pokhran.

EuroTrip - Day 67

2009-11-19T15:29:00.002+05:30

Kisses on the Grave

There were no negotiations yesterday. It was one of those canceled classes that I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts. You turn up for the class but the professor does not. Luckily, the professor entrusted us with some task and allowed to claim an attendance for it too. We really could not afford one more rescheduled class.

When it comes to negotiate something in absence of professor, it does not take much of a time. We are just too good and the meetings get over in less than a couple of minutes. There is no disagreements whatsoever inspite having students from so many cultures and nationality in the class. Nobody wants to work even a bit extra if the professor is not taking a note of it.

So we had a break for ourselves. A long break. And the first thought that came to our mind when we realized a possibility to go out of college, it was about visiting Le Cimetière du Père-Lachaise - the world famous cemetery in the center of Paris. It's just a 5 minutes walk from our college so we could spend a good amount of time there. Last time I went there, it was about to close and I really did not want to venture a great deal inside the big place so as to get lost and then end up spending my night next to some grave.

This cemetery boasts of being the resting place of many a great personalities, the world famous author and lover Oscar Wilde being one amongst them. His grave is very famous and is high priority item in the agenda of every visitor to this place. BTW, could you believe that this cemetery sees more than 2 million visitors every year (almost a third of those visiting Eiffel Tower)!! Coming back to Oscar Wilde's grave, this tomb is unique in itself. Instead of flowers, Oscar's follower shower kisses to his tomb. There are lipstick marks all over the tomb and messages from hundreds of lovers. It's interesting to say the least.

There are thousands of graves here, few of them are really beautiful. These graves are a testimony to the person who is resting to peace inside them. They are full with messages and souvenirs from the family and loved ones. Each one special for the people for whom it matters. Each one is unique in its own sense.

There are more than one million dead burried here and this cemetery seems to be running out of space. What will happen then? I wonder. They will need to find some way. Every soul needs its own resting place, you know.

That was my second date with Père-Lachaise.
Today the day has been rather uneventful. I really don't know how can a marketing class be so boring. It just not make any sense to me why they need to teach so much theory about human psychology in a course of consumer behavior. One could go in that depth if he has lot of time at his disposal. However with just 10 classes to complete a course, it does not leave any scope for actual interaction or discussions about the consumer in the class. I wish I had a chance to take this course again in IIMA.

International Finance class was as interesting as ever. The arrival of good news that 'pappu pass ho gaya hai' made it even better today. Yes, I have passed the mid term exam of International Finance. Atleast for the time being, that is. I was so hopeless after that exam that I had to pray to godjee and promise him that I will be a good boy. I guess it is time I become a good boy. :D

EuroTrip - Day 66

2009-11-19T15:28:00.005+05:30

Life @ ESCP

I have been asked this question many times that how do I find my life at ESCP? How are things here as compared to those back home (sounds cool to talk like this). I really feel it does not make a great sense to compare the two institutions as each business school has its own distinct culture. The cultural difference between two countries make this task of comparison even more difficult. So, let me just list down my observation about this place instead. It's Life@ESCP through my eyes.

1. While just one class per week schedule gives you enough time to prepare well for each class, the three hour long class is actually a big pain. You tend to lose the concentration how much ever you try to hold your attention to the proceedings in the class.

2. Canceling of classes is common. Some of the professors have buffer sessions to take care of cancellations and rescheduling of such classes.

3. Every student realizes and respect the authority and power the professors command. However, this does not translate to a feeling of respect the same way that we see in India. A professor's presence does not affect your actions and discussions.

4. There are no prohibitions. In fact, there is a basement bar in the college. Every week there are party thrown for some reason or the other.

5. I did not notice any smoke detectors and fire alarms. Smoking is not banned in open space.

6. Assignments are taken very seriously. The deadlines need to be followed.

7. Basic facilities such as printer and xerox are very expensive and require you to take a bulk usage subscription.

8. The student body (or whatever it is called here) elections are really the matter of pride. It's a long process and requires the parties (or teams) to actively campaign through various means. There are many parties thrown out for such campaigns. Free daaru and khana are the biggest attraction of such parties.

9. As the Paris campus does not have residential facilities, everything closes by 9pm. You are on your own after that - no library, no internet.

to be continued...

ps: Will update as and when something comes to my mind.
ps2: Screwed up marketing strategy again, no negotiations on it. I really think classes are becoming a fad now.