Two States

Another interesting take on the stark reality of arranged marriages! As Chetan takes us through a journey that has partly been transcended from his own experiences, I can't help but feel sorry for a substantial number of teenagers who have embarked on the treacherous path of "love"...

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against arranged marriages. But the sheer thought of two people working round the clock just to convince their parents sends a chill down my spine. Mr. Bhagat starts of on a very euphoric note in the IIM Ahmedabad cafeteria (who doesn't like mushy cafeteria romance) But as the pages unfold, the plot gets darker and darker, marred probably by the crimson colour of the couple's life blood.

Though we see everything working out in the end (Hurray!!), somehow something seems amiss in the way the two lovebirds have evolved, from the "I-can't-let-go-of-you" college goers to the "I-think-my-parents-won't-approve" adults.. And that my friends, is the reality that we face today.

All in all, a nice interesting work of fiction (or is it). The book also explains a lot of unsolved mysteries from the protagonist's past, including his relationship with his father which ultimately is the twist in the tale, to his ex-gf. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who thinks India is evolving and maturing.

Peace

Alcoholism!!

There is a joy that banishes all reason,

An ecstasy so vast it has no shore,

A craving that devours all decision,

A lust for nothingness that lusts for more.

There are angels in pursuit of pain

Who take Satanic pride in degradation,

Who'll drag you down the hill and back again

Hosanna-ing your sweet humiliation.

Just like a fire fanned by a hot, dry wind,

Or like a flood that sweeps away all will,

This wall of pleasure leaves no one behind,

No sign of life where all one loves lies still.

So does the soul in anguish hate the joy

That soothes the hate that does the soul destroy.

My Day In The Kitchen

As part of my "department training" one of the sections I was looking forward to was the kitchen or F&B Production as we call it here. So there I was in a spotless white chef's uniform and raring to go. The first two hours went pretty ok considering the fact that I was with the Sous Chef asking questions and getting all "inquisitive" Then things went horribly wrong (or right). I volunteered to get first hand experience on Kitchen work. The chefs were more than happy to let me in!!

I started with the arduous task of (yeah laugh all you want!!) peeling beans and onions and carrots("Mezzo Plus") for the next couple of hours. Then when all hope seemed lost, somebody just came up asked me to help out in the Indian Kitchen. And then there I was preparing "Dal Makhani" and "Mutton Rogan Josh".. And 12 hrs later, I was actually good....

So now here I am, doin wat I do best(at least I hope to) So Ma watch out the next time I come back home. Your son is now a part time "chef"!!

Peace

HR.. Its not for everybody!!

Started off with this thought today morning... Now as I sit here @ 4:00 a.m. the next day, all drowsy eyed, thought I'd turn this into my next attempt at amusing myself (seriously!!)...

During my 1st year in MBA, I had a very different view of what the typical HR manager is and does.As I've gone thru the rungs now, seems I was sucked into the netherworld of my dreams. Every possibility of my utopian thought process seems to have gone as I sit and fill up the salary emoluments of the 300 odd employees here

Just when everything seemed haywire..(try makin sense of numbers for 11 hrs n u'll kno wat m feelin), a security guard comes down to the office lookin for me(??!!) On further inquiry I came to kno, he's come for a salary advance.. U can probably imagine my initial reaction. Thankfully, I eased out the words " kyun chaiye?" with ,I confess, some difficulty.

So he tells me, " Sir, I have been doing two shifts every day for the past 2 weeks while my wife was in the final stages of her pregnancy, just so that I can afford a better hospital. But now that I have no choice, I need to withdraw my salary in advance just to cover the hospital expenses."

I didn't kno wat to say(I still don't...) How could I explain the technicalities of a salary advance to him. I just reachd into my wallet & gave him watever I had. Thankfully the amount will cover at least the initial expenses. I kno I kno, he could easily have beguiled me. But something inside made me do wat I did.

Judge me if you must, I plead guilty.....HR is definitely not for everybody!!!!

Ciao (Sigh!!)

Mumbai..An afterthought...

So its been a week since I left Mumbai....friends,the big-city life..etc etc,the list is endless. After a lot of motovational speeches and anecdotes, decided I was ready for a very different kinda lifestyle in the months to come. See, I've been transferred to the Land of the Lakes.And strangely, I'm loving every bit of it. Feels like Ranchi all over again. Small town, everybody knows everybody and people are just plain hospitable :) So the aura around this place created by my own sub-conscious and helped to no less extent by a bunch of loonies I've come to know as friends(I'm just kiddin, I Love You all :) was completely shattered.

As I sit here in my office at 10:30 in the nite typin away, some things just keep picklin my brain.. So here's wat I'm gonna do. Write down the most memorable moments in Mumbai...

1. The Flat.. awesome place, 11th floor, awesome view, and amazing beds.. :)

2. My Roomies.. Anna, Sardar & Sunny paaji-- we had the best of times.

3. The Training Centre (We were the 1st batch there, so yeaaaaah)

4. Pop-Tates & Happy Singh ;)

5. The walk from Marine Drive to Nariman Point... trust me, feels ethereal :)

6. Bandra Linkin Road Bazaar..name it and they have it!!

7. Carter Road

8. Siddhi Vinayak Mandir

9. Songs... "Open The Door, Dahling Open The Door..." & "In the Morning, In the Morning..."(Thank You Anna) & " Maula Maula...." (Panditji)

10. MY BATCHMATES!!!! :D

Love you all

Ciao

An Obituary

In Loving Memory

It is with great grief and melancholy that I regret to inform you that my Nokia 3110c is no more.She passed away today at 3 p.m. in Ranchi.Although she was fine till 4 p.m. yesterday, sudden strokes on her motherboard led to her rapidly deteriorating condition.We consulted the best doctors for the same and they tried their level best to restore her to full health again.Although she did seem to show signs of recovery, suddenly she was declared as no more. A lot of hue and cry later, we have consoled ourselves to perform her last rites.Hence, with a heavy heart, a simple ceremony we has been  arranged for at Nokia Bhavan tomorrow in  the memory of a friend who stood by me through thick and thin.As I sit here with her in my lap, I can't but help thinking of all the wonderful times that we have enjoyed throughout. Hence I personally request you to kindly grace the occassion with your prescence.She would have wanted so.... :(

Venue: Nokia Bhavan

Time : 2 p.m. onwards.

Regards,

Debansh Roy

Mobile Number:.....(no more) :((

Khana Khazana???Ya rt!!!(Sorry for doubting ur efforts Ma)

Came back to my alma mater after 3 long years.. Expected a lot of pampering and the likes from my eldest brother.And here I am,cooking rice and aloo ki sabzi all by myself.Accidents were but a natural consequence.So a cooker full of overboiled basmati and a burnt kadai later, I gave it another shot.And lo behold,I'm the proudest amateur cook alive!! :) Nevertheless the importance of this day can't be stressed enough.I've always been able to fend for myself as far as food is concerned(mostly maggi and scrambled eggs,but wat the hell..)And to give my first serious shot at some Indian food was an experience in itself. Also I'd like to take this opuurtunity to..ahem..thank all those ppl responsible for my current state of being....."I'm Lovin' It!!":)

Last but not the least, if ur reading this Ma,I'm sorry for all the times I underestimated how much effort ot takes just to stand infront of the kitchen and cook..let alone make it delicious.Hatsoff to you!!

And of course thanx dada for givin me complete control over the kitchen and learn to cook..You have no idea wat a mess you've gotten yourself into..;) thanx again

Gotta go make rotis..Ciao :)

A Story of My Experiments With Truth...

Just put down a copy of the now-so-forgotten book written by a man so deeply mired in controversy,and yet regarded as a beacon of India's freedom struggle.Having understood thus, this book was long overdue to be read... Finally got a chance to do so while I was down with a flu.Anyway, here goes..

The book strikes you in its first few pages itself as promising something different from the conventional hype surrounding the man,the legend.And it does not fail to deliver.The brutally honest revelations in the first few chapters not only amplified my respect for Bapu, but also gave me an objective look at his life. His basic philosophy of a simple living and high thinking are so well illustrated in every episode of his life,its as if he knew what path he was to take.

But the most important learning them all was the admission of his fallacies, the dilemma in his ever so changing life and the choices he made to deal with these temptations.It also shows that every man becomes great only when he has understood clearly what rock-bottom means.Gandhiji did commit many "mistakes", but the important thing was He never repeated them.In that, He learnt from his mistakes.

And though He has repeatedly reminded the reader that his book is not a code of conduct for the youth of today, somehow his simple illustrations do find their way to the reader's conscience.His opinions on education,racism,religion,marriage, even carnal pleasures makes me ask a lot of questions not only to myself but also of the society I live in.

All said and done,here is a book on the man,everybody loved but few knew.....His personal memoirs have shown that it is possible for a common man,a village bumpkin to rise above mediocrity and carve his/her name in the history of mankind.And I thank my scepticism and the myths people around me generated about him that culminated in me finishing this book.There is a new believer in town,Sir and Bless you for having had the patience and wisdom of sharing your personal life with us.

Peace

  

........

Love's Labour Lost???

You say you want to be just friends,
But do you mean goodbye?
Is that the easy way to end
The wish without the why?

You owe me nothing, as I owe
You equally, and yet
There's something in the undertow
I cannot just forget.

There's something lovely like a song
That's waiting to be heard,
Or like the feelings that belong
To some unspoken word.

And so with you I cannot simply
Smile and stay aloof.
I take the risk of asking frankly
For the untold truth.

And More...

The pain will never go away;
The wound will never heal.
The evil that was done to you
Is now your eyes, your heart.

The black will never turn to gray;
The blood will not congeal.
The violence is never through;
The past does not depart.

Time will merely make you whole,
Consuming what you are:
Part sufferer, part comforter,
Part victim, part new song;

Part mother of an angry soul,
Part child of despair,
Part witness and part conqueror
Of all that did you wrong.

Underneath their flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character

Just had a chance encounter with one of India's greatest vices.."the corrupt babu"!! Thing is, we'd requested for a new caller id phone in exchange of our trusty old P&T coz you know, change is always good.Add to that a hoard of crank calls and you have a sound reason to get CLIP for your phone.

So anyway,its been 2 weeks since we applied for the new set.Normally it ought to have taken not more than 6 days for the gentlemen from BSNL to come down and replace our existing set. So I finally go and meet the SDO of the local exchange office in this regard.Apparently the phone's been sanctioned for quite a while but they were too busy to replace it.Nevertheless,I requested them to take some action.The SDO asked me to get a copy of the last bill and the old set itself and only then would I be given the new phone.Seemed redundant,but I agreed anyway to again come back.

The the gentleman lays out his alternate plan..."Kya dobara aayiyega,babuji,yehin chai paani ka intezaam kar dijiye aur phone le jaiye.Aapko naya phone bhi mil jayega,daudna bhi nahi padega aur set bhi rakh lijiye.Aayiye baithiye"

And all this after I had agreed to get the original bill and set and settle this legally.I know it sounds cliched and  all, but what's appalling is the sheer shamelessness of the officer in question in asking for a bribe openly.That too when BSNL has taken significant steps in being transparent in its processes.Ultimately,I guess its technology can only do so much.The system is only good as its people,I for one have no more respect for an institution that s seemingly on a "modernisation" phase.

Peace (sigh!!)

Some more of my work from LaLaLand!!

The Vice that is a Friend!!

There is a joy that banishes all reason,

An ecstasy so vast it has no shore,

A craving that devours all decision,

A lust for nothingness that lusts for more.

There are angels in pursuit of pain

Who take Satanic pride in degradation,

Who'll drag you down the hill and back again

Revelling your sweet humiliation.

Just like a fire fanned by a hot, dry wind,

Or like a flood that sweeps away all will,

This wall of pleasure leaves no one behind,

No sign of life where all one loves lies still.

So does the soul in anguish hate the joy

That soothes the hate that does the soul destroy.

Heart Of A Lioness

Although I am a big fan of "Animal Planet", (considering that I studied with quite a few) , few of their shows have left such a sigificant mark on my life as the documentary, "The Heart Of A Lioness" presented by Saba Douglas Hamilton. As much as I admire the lady herself,(for more details "Google" Her), the documentary itself is mind-boggling!!

A lioness has a change of heart, for one small antelope - a baby oryx - this land of predators becomes a land of miracles.Astonishing the scientific world, a young lioness, adopts a baby oryx and mothers it with infinite tenderness for 16 days. Foregoing her most basic needs she proves both a tender and fierce protector. The Samburu people call her "Kamunyak – the blessed one".

Seeing Kamunyak for the first time is nothing short of witnessing a miracle. Appearing out of nowhere, the lion and the lamb curl up side by side.Saba follows them for days. I'm not alone in my astonishment, gawping gazelles bark out their alarm, not quite believing their eyes.Kamunyak has turned nature on its head and mystified the world. She’s moved off into the vast wilderness of Samburu and who knows if she’ll be seen again. But while she remains an enigma to the scientific world, she has become a legend of the people of Samburu. They way they tell the story is that she was barren and that god gave her a child. That one day, she will rise up in front of them as surely as the African sun. But what remains with is the poignancy of her tale.

If you do get a chance,please watch this fascinating documentary that has becoe a legend in Kenya and shaken world wildlife experts.

Peace

The poet in me was never dead....It was simply banned for life(and for good reasons!!)

Confessions of a Secret Admirer….

Whose gift this is you cannot know.

My heart is in your keeping though.

You will not mind my writing here

To tell you that I love you so.

 I know that you must think it queer

For me to love and not come near

But linger by some frozen lake

This most romantic time of year.

 I sometimes give my head a shake

And ask if there is some mistake.

It's lonely out here 'mid the sweep

Of bitter wind and icy flake.

 My love for you is dark and deep,

But it's a promise I will keep

As from afar I watch and weep.

My Take on Life..

So few realize what life is all about

If I knew nothing else, I knew warmth,pleasure,

Despite everything,I knew love.

People look for what they can measure:

A degree,money,family they can brag about,

Reasons others might wish them prosperity for,

On days like other days were moments i treasured,

Life like other lives,humdrum passing without..

A Sense of Being...

The being of being is Being;The being of nothing is none.

And if you find this so much nonsense,At least it will do you no harm.

Now nothing is nothing, for certain;And something is something, for sure.

Since something cannot come from nothing,It must be eternally there.

And though it is hard to imagine,Since time is our air and our sea,

No thing will ever be nothing,Though we will not always be we..

 

Helplessness...

As I type out these letters I can't help but feel sorry for a friend.Its nothing grave,except both me and her face the same dilemma..of helplessness.I wish I could do more and make a difference.The irony is that my hands are tied because of the systemic inefficiencies of a particular insti I would have loved to name here.And her's because of (as I understand it) emotional turmoil. 

If you are reading this,all I want to say is "I'm sorry" I couldn't do anything significant and wish that you take care of yourself and not worry yourself to kingdom come....Things will turn out fine, maybe even better. So please stay calm and tke care of your loved ones too.

Advice is not one of my strongest points but I tend to dole it out in lumpsums for the people I care.

( Regards, "Dadaji")

Feverish & Lovin It...

Its been a long time coming..I have chronically weak immunity,which normally leads to me falling sick every 2 months max.This time though things are different.I have not been down with common cold for the past two months and frankly,didn't like it...Sounds weird??Lemme explain..

Now i agree there are certain disadvantages (read, coughin like a grandma,snot drippin all over etc etc) but I'm an eternal optimist.And logically there indeed are quite a few advantages of bein sick.

1. You r not expected to work or do anythin around the house (yeaaa)

2. Everybody's extra nice to you..(at least 2 me coz i kinda get cranky)

3. You can finally convice your mother to make you that oh-so-amazin chicken soup that you love.

4. Its a 24 hr TV marathon!!

5. Its a trip to paradise for gamin freaks like me :) 

6. I get to order around the house instead of bein at the receivin end.

7. Sleeeeeeeep..................!!!

8. Leaves me abundant time to catch up on a book that I've been tryin to finish for a long time (Atlas Shrugged!)

9. I can finally play chess with my father..sounds nerdy but not that bad ;)

10. I can blog all I want..So beware!!

Comeback Kings..

11th January 2009,Chelsea lost 3-0 to one of their fiercest rivals, Manchester United,and the first thing that came to my mind was.."What Next?" See, I have been a "Blues" fan since the days of Zola,Le Saux And Desailly, 2002 to be more accurate.And contrary to what some might say, its not just about the money for for the Blues.I have seen them play long before the days of Abramovich and they were always classy... 

So comin back to present day football, seemed all was lost with Scolari making silly tactical blunders... Then came the "Era of Guus!!" And lo behold, my team was back where it deserved to be!!With only the blind as a bat referee to blame for some of the worst decision in footballing history,we had to reconcile ourselves to not being at Rome.

I guess we did get adequately compensated what with, the better team winning the Champions  League and us winning the FA Cup...I wish Guus didn't have to go.He created a spark so reminiscent of the "True Blues" and with Carlo Ancelloti stepping in, I'm a li'l sceptical about Chelsea.Nevertheless,its my team and of course with the transfer market abuzz with big money moves, I can't for the next season to start.How I wish Kaka and Pato come to the EPL, if only to see what they are capable of....

So we will see you at the Community Shield, "Sir" Alex Ferguson.

Peace

Ranchi..Jharkhand's Summer Capital No More...

Phew... the sweltering heat makes me reach for the a/c control panel once again.. What has Ranchi come too. There was a time when my relatives would come down for "casual" visits every summer when temperatures in Jamshedpur and Kolkata soared too high... Now that Sooraj Devta has decided to show Ranchiites His might, seems we have to find a safer haven to run to.

When I look around, I understand at least some reasons why Ranchi has changed. At the first crossing after my apartment, there used to be a huge gulmohar tree. I remember it clearly because of the colours of the flowers matched the colours of my grandmother's saree.(For those of you who find this statement cheesy, may I say I am a greenhorn when it comes to horticulture..... I know almost nothing about plants)

The gulmohar tree was one of the many trees cut down to make way for wider roads and urban infrastructure.6 years later, all i see are more cars,more pollution and no trees to mitigate the effect. I believe the year on year budget surplus that the government makes cud thus be put to much better use than purchasing choppers for the CM or providing security  to celebrity cricketer(s).

Why this scenario seems more appalling is coz of my experience in Bangalore.I wouldn;t know much but I do know that in Bangalore, they don't cut the trees but make their homes around them,sometimes even keeping space for the tree to grow through their terrace.I know it doen't seem viable to do so for public roads..But at least we could plant more trees in and around the city. The only vegetation I see these days is confined to a few neighbourhoods in Ranchi...MECON,HEC etc.

The point is, in the name of infrastructural development , the authorities have turned our beloved Ranchi into a concrete jungle. Will somebody tell them that infrastructure includes well maintained public parks and gardens....!! TO add to that, I read an article in the local paper today which mentioned that the avg water level of Ranchi has dropped to 40 feet, which is alarming... I aim to use the RTI to understand exactly what steps the govt wishes to take to solve this problem.I wish others would do the same. Till then, my sympathies for the heat strokes....

Peace...(sigh!!)

Insomnia

The time is 2.28 a.m & I do not have the slightest inclination to hit the hay.. Is it my sudden change in lifestyle or a general apathy towards discipline puts me in suc awkward positions.My parents obviously are appalled at the thought of their son staying up late and for no plausible reason.I don't blame them.

Okay I think I figured out what it is...I've been busy helping out my aunt who just got an operation done at the local hospital.I hate the hospital now but i guess I might reserve that for another post.Anyway, so the two days I saw my buaji in the hospital ward,I had a number of revelations.Just next to her room, an elderly man was admitted the very same day. Apparently he had his leg operated upon for soem infection.Now to be honest I was not so much concerned for his general well being as for the  discomfort his prescence might cause to my aunt. (They were to share the same washroom for the night) So through some general conversation with the gentleman's family, I reminded them of the potential problem.

The night went by peacefully, barring his constant screaming and coughing that kept my aunt awake most of the night. Naturally I was irritated thenext and couldn't wait to get my aunt checked out of the hospital.As we checked out, I was the last one to go, collecting all the medicines and knick knacks left behind.While I was about to leave, I snapped at the man's family, blaming them for my aunt's lack of sleep. There was a third lady today accompanying the gentleman.The answer she gave me will probably remain with me for the rest of my life.

The man was a farmer from Khunti, one of the suburbs of Ranchi.He had come to the city to get medicines and apply for a routine check-up for his wife.At the OPD center he had met this lady who needed a bone marrow donor for her 5 yr old daughter. Since nobody was willing to help her out, she approached the CGHS centre at the hospital.they too at best offered her a subsidised operating fee from the doctor's side.But that still left her without a donor.Desperate she somehow appealed to this man for help.And he obliged, even though he knew nothing about except the reason why she needed the bone marrow.

This man a farmer, who was probably the only bread-winner for his family agreed to an operation that may possibly render his right leg weak,or worse...And why?? For a  stranger??

In a country where literate people kill each other for petty reasons, here was the greatest irony of them all- An illiterate man risking it all to save the life of a "stranger's" child.All I could do at that point was apologize. As I came up to the car,my father kept akiing what took me so long. What could  I tell him? I had no answer.

"Truth is stranger than fiction" Every word from this oh-so cliched proverb makes sense to me right now. And yet even as I lie awake in my room, typing away, I cannot help but wonder about how our life is built upon the choices we make. I wonder what is going on in the minds of the man's family..In some strange way,I believe it is God's will that I stay and ponder on the events of the day. And suddenly, insomnia doesn't feel weird anymore.......

I guess I got carried away a bit.But its been an emotional 5 hrs for me after that conversation.I hoped to narrate this incident to the world, for those who care.I hope I did justice to the same.

Peace.

Jaago Re

Elections are like a 5 yr festival in India. And you can see it all around you...whether you want to or not. I for one used to be  apolitical towards the entire concept what with the common populace's general attitude towards politicians. In effect I started appreciating the whole concept with the appointment of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as our Prime Minister beginning 1998.I mean c'mon, he is one of the few gentlemen that Indian politics can boast of. Without him, I don't know how BJP can charm a multi-cultural economy like India on the basis of a unicultural ideology.

As far as the Congress is concerned, there is a certain lack of panache in the upper end of the hierarchy. I agree Rahul Gandhi has a certain charm that he carries with elan. But whether it is enough to woo the common man,remains to be seen. 

Anyway coming back to my own experiences, I can see my household erupt with political debates..(most of which I am now involved in nowadays, thanx to Pathak :))And surprisingly,or not, everyone I know still has faith in the Indian National Congress. According to them, "Advani does not have the same panache as his predecessor and is still seen as a hardliner.To add to that, the BJP seems to have gone a few steps back with the impassioned and highly politically incorrect speech by Varun Gandhi.The less said about the Left, the better it is. A party that seems to have lost its bedrock of ideals is now a mere pawn at the mercy of the bigger parties. Even George Fernandes,an erstwhile firebrand leader is considered a toothless tiger now"

Although such issues are always open to debate, something that I personally found encouraging and timely was the "jaago re" ad by Tata Tea. Excellent theme, well scripted. May I also add that the protagonists deserve a gentle applause for their eye-catching statements. I for one am a fan of the Great Indian Democracy now.....

Peace.  

Homecoming

Wow what an overdose of nostalgia... Its been two days since I'm back and already I miss my foster city. It seems I left a lot behind..family, friends, some memories-good and bad.It might sound cliched but I actually want to go back.Hell, I wish I was....  Not only did I get to meet some of the most memorable and genuine people at the "City of Gardens"(I wish I'd gone to one at least,but thats a different story altogether :))

On a serious note, essentially just wanted to use this post to convey a big "Thank You" to all those responsible for making my stay a happy one, in their own little way.You all know who you are.. :) 

Also I wish to describe, in my own irritating way, why I rate Bangalore so high among all the cities I've stayed in....

1. I met some of the funniest characters in Bangalore..unfortunately some of them won't be available in India for quite some time now. :)

2. Andhra food(30/- a plate unlimited ghee :)) that I ate like a glutton is the most delicious cholestrol-enhancer I've had in a long time.

3. Fan support is one thing, but seeing ppl practically worshipping movie stars who look like they've boycotted all the barbers in their city is a sight to be seen.

4. The autowallah's will not co-operate if you do not know who ganesh is... can you believe that??? :)

5. The city has some amazing pubs, all closed by 11.00 but nevertheless worth it.

6. I now have a great family in Bangalore. :)

7. I've made friends for life .....

and finally.... Kannada Gothilla but Bengaluru mein jasti enjoy madi......(Please forgive me guys :))

Peace

Stay Hungry,Stay Foolish!

At the onset, i must say I am a voracious reader and I enjoy most books.....most!Now I have done very few book reviews and this is the first one that I'm doing online. So here goes...

To start with, I liked the title of the book, I believe it instantly connects you with what you are expecting the book to be..a gritty, candid collection of success stories of passouts from one of India's best educational institutes. It wud be unfair not to admit I wasn't impressed. Ms. Bansal gives the book a great start with a typical MBA touch..classifying the entire group of entrepreneurs into three categories!! Nostalgia, anyone?? Anyway, first few pages dealt with Mr.Bhikchandani from naukri.com who I believe must be getting a lot of business from the MBA comunity itself,given that campus placements have taken a toss. So i found the treatise quite engaging.

But the more I kept delving through the pages, three things kept disturbing me.On finishing the book, which took only half a night, I realised that the three points that kept disturbing me were in fact recurrent in every story that Ms.Bansal had to tell.

First of all, each and every entrepreneur had the same backup plan for themselves...the IIMA tag. They believed that if all else fails,they could always go back and join an MNC and rake in the moolah necessary for not just survival but also their seed capital. My point is, of the approx 2 lac students who appear for CAT every year, only a handful make it to IIMA. Does that mean the rest of us carry a bigger risk of not getting through a gr8 company even if our venture fails only because we do not carry that tag with us? 

Secondly, even for those entrepreneurs whose chose to stick with their ventures, most of their emergency capital funding came from VCs who were either  IIMA alumni or knew someone from the insti..either a Prof or a batchmate. So what lessons does this hold for me as an MBA from some other insti?? Also where is the entrepreneurial spirit if all you do is call up ur ppl u kno are goin to give you the funding necessary for ur venture.

Thirdly, almost all the entrepreneurs have talked about the years of struggle being the most crucial and important years of their lives. That is when they discovered their metaphorical "entrepreneurial spirit"My point is.. Is it always a crisis that makes one realise what one is capable of? Is it when you are thrown off a buliding that you may realise you can fly?? Also, one of the key elements of entrepreneurship is the constant need for innovation within your venture as the times change. But in this case, most of the changes seem reactive rather than proactive. Is this the case of the boiling frog syndrome in its crudest form?? These are some of the questions that have rattled me since I've read this book.

Don't get me wrong, it is an amazing treatise for those who will and have faced simliar situations as the ones mentioned in the book.I believe this book will be a great boost for an insti that churns out dozens of potential business leaders but very few entrepreneurs. I have the highest regard for ppl like Sharath Babu and Gaurav who chose to take their own path and are probably happier than their batchmates in the investment banking sector today.

But all said and done, the book glorifies the insti though in a very subtle manner. And for the millions of young entrepreneurs out there I believe this book could de-motivate them from starting out on their own. I quote one of my friends who after reading the book remarked, " The best result that you could possibly hope for from the book is to see fewer IIMA grads taking up jobs in MNCs and concentrating on buliding their own ventures." I sincerely hope the book does what it claims it can do and makes a difference to the lives of all IIM grads who are stuck in the wrong job.

Peace

Pappu Ke Paas Hai MBA(almost!!)

Next week we have our farcical exams after which hopefully I will become a Post Grad.Now its one thing to study for an MBA exam, a completely different story for our very own Christa!!

Take for example content... Bullet em down, use words from ur "best-in-the-line" books and u r seen as a master of the subject. Plus presentation. Make ur paper look like a runaway circus clown and u have a winner. U might even get a distinction because you were "well-prepared"!! (Read-armed with array of material u wud normally take for craft class)

Secondly the question papers themselves... well the less i say the better. e.g. last time we had a case study for our mid-terms askin us to define true friendship. I must admit i ahd a hard time suppressing my grin in an otherwise boring exam hall.

And the fines!!!!!!!!!!!! I promised myself not to use any expletives ona public forum. So will try to censor it down. The frupping coll wants me to shell out 1000/- for not bein present on 3rd Jan 2009 failin which i will not be allowed to write my exams. 3rd Jan was a Saturday and was the first weekend after the New Year. Lemme ask you "Who the hell expects a student to turn up for one class thus ruining his one holiday he can spent with his family after a year?!!" Not me thats for sure.

So anyway, thanx to some very proactive students who went the very next day to pay the fine, I am now poorer by a 1000 bucks :( And thats not all, the clerks at the office also expect us to wait for the receipt till they are "free"! I mean gimme a break.... U might as well ask me to come with a pair of gallishes on my shorts and a water bottle around my neck sayin the morning prayer on the field and keep a finger on my lips during class.

But wait, there's more.. Apparently we have our convocation on the 31st of May and failing to turn up will result in a fine of 1000/- more.I have to join my company on June 1st, Mumbai so that makes me poorer by 1000/- bucks again. Not only will I be missing out on my convocation, I will be paying a fine for it too.All i can say is ,"Gentlemen, if you want more money just add it to the fees.Do it in the name of charity.  Don't make me write hate-blogs about my alma mater...."

All said and done, its been an exhausting two years now and given my experiences here I can't wait for my "MBA" to get over. As one of our Professors keep reminding us, "Have you come here to get an M.B.A. or to learn something new that adds value to your life?" Well Sir, I can dare say now that I wud be happy to just get my degree and run, I think I've learnt enough to last me a lifetime!!

P.S. The author of this blog cannot be held responsible for the opinions generated as it is merely a reflection of the general outlook of the entire batch!

Peace

 

What a Week!!

I guess its just one of those days when God picks up ur name from the lottery bowl.... not to shower blessings but to simply pick on you.

2 weeks of mental bombardment were all it took to make me realise how small i really am in this vast sea of humanity.It started with something simple (at least seemingly)..... I was expected to bring my dissertation thesis to a closure before the 6th of March. Now I don't really have a problem accepting challenges but sometimes life gives you more than you can chew. In my case, life also gives you a heavy bout of intellectual diarrhoea..

Now that I'm done with my dissertation project at least, just got to know today that some idiot from Section C (somehow i kno they'd mess up our already miserable lives again)  went ahead and got us an added responsibility of making presentations for an IB project that we were happy just making an assignment for. As you may have noted in my previous blog on Laziness, these are the exact ppl that i have talked bout (bootlickers)....

Nevertheless i wud have perhaps accepted these circumstances except that they are now coming in the way of my otherwise peaceful personal life. Not only am i engaged in heated debates about wat i do with ppl close to me, I also do not get my share of gaming (read football on my lappy) which is like my survival mantra for this hell-hole.

Hopefully some sense will dawn on that pile-of-factory-residue who requested for the ppt, and the wrath he has brought down upon his peers(now hostile!!) As for me, well it looks like I'm up for another week of hardball and this time hopefully, God will be on my side! 

Kapish

P.S.I'm not a blasphemist.I just enjoy takin a dig at "Him" from time to time

Ostentatiousness or Childhood fantasies?

When was the last time you saw a girl being swept off her feet by a guy, without the ritualistic "show-off" period?I just had a conversation with my best friend on what drives a teenager to lie and make-pretend on what he wants his prospective girlfriend to see and not hwta he really is... Have we ever wondered where this cycle of cock-and-bull stories start?

Our prolonged and heated debate led me to believe that somehow the lack of knowledge about the opposite sex's needs and the understanding of the things she values most is what makes boys believe they can woo their lady love by simply lying on face of of it.She recounted an example wherein she knew a guy who would "compose" poetry to her,which in fact were nothing but rip-offs from some romantic english tracks. When she confronted the guy with this, he retaliated by saying that his previous experience with girls led him to understand that they prefer pretentious acts of love over honest confessions of one's feelings.

Now I don't really have any bone to pick with women in general... But I realised that it is in our nature to constrain our thoughts and actions to incidents that evoke a feeling of well-being and harmony than conflict and confrontation. It is also quite incidental that I received an sms from a dear friend putting the entire essence of this blog in two lines:

" No one is afraid to speak the truth,Eevrybody is only afraid of facing the consequences after the truth is led out"

To all viewers of this blog,if you wud be so kind as to ans this ques...

Whom would you be attracted to/infatuated with at the first sight, a guy/girl who's drop dead handsome/gorgeous with a sharp dressing sense and a nice set of wheels/heels, OR a Plain Jane/Guy- Next-Door with nothing more to offer than his/her undying love for you?"

May I also point out that though age does not diminish this vulgar act of pretentiousness, good experiences from ones past definitely make one see through this veil of  "larger-than-life" images that the person, both boy/girl, create around themselves.

Therefore it is but my honest attempt at making ppl realise that what matters most in a relationship is two ppl willing to work through their problems and accepting the fact that they are not perfect, while at the same time improving  upon the things they can.

Peace

How is being lazy beneficial?

The first thing ppl need to understand is that being lazy is not about doing nothing and wasting your time.Its about saving up your energies for things that actually matter. So the next time somebody says, "Dude,you're so lazy, do them a favor and feed em this info"

Secondly, being lazy also contributes to the well being of your peers.You know, the ones who could never differentiate between an important memo and a shred of toilet paper, but work hard just the same at tryin to prove themselves.You'll find plenty of those annoying critters out there.So as i was saying, with you not working (read saving up your energy!), these freaks could actually work and prove themselves worthy of the position and package they hold (or not!). Hence the afterthought

Finally, being lazy makes you look good because ppl have lesser expectations from you. So when you do get to work on a project, you might get away with a lot less effort than those pitiful wastes of humanity i just mentioned above.

Also it might help if you were born with loadsa grey matter. Otherwise, my sympathies.

Peace