A Hyderabadi Love Affair

I believe its time to run!

2012-01-10T17:00:00.001+05:30

Welcome to the season of running
A season where each of us have juggled between work and work outs
A season where we have pushed our limits
A season where we have drawn inspiration from each other
A season where we decided that we'd run
for ourselves, for fitness or for a cause!

Its time to run!

I believe it starts one step at a time
and then I'd have no idea where my dreams will take me

I believe the world is my treadmill
I believe my biggest inspiration is the person infront of me

I believe in solitude and community
I believe no decision should be made while running uphill

I believe that when I think its over... I can always dig a little deeper
I believe in redefining my impossible

I believe in myself, and
I believe in the run
- Nike

In retrospect...!

2011-12-22T00:41:00.003+05:30

An extremely cold start to the year with Lucknow winters and a trip to Gulmarg. Tons of CVs and more placements stuff.

Trip to Gulmarg & Srinagar: Mid January with Lambu and Baka

Skiing tutorials, Ice cold walks at -17 degrees, Kashmiri Kehwa, bukhara, Dal lake boat house stay and insane security measures

Trip to Delhi to meet Bansal and got drunk at Connaught Square

Writing the book - Q&A: Most of January and February.. with Subbu, Uday, Pinky, Adak, Sudeshna, Gogo, Shady. Altruism, God, Hapiness and what not...

Trip to Tawang, Shillong and Guwahati: Early March with Sud, Gogo, Smriti, Shaggy and Soumen das

Long drives, missed helicopters, Unexplored caves, forsaken hotel rooms, waterless falls of cherrapunjee, Monastries of Tawang and country borders

Cousin sister's marriage in Hyderabad:With Manish and Rahul. Flew from Kolkata and an action packed 3 day bonanza

Got Convocated in Lucknow

Road trip from Lucknow to Hyderabad through MP and Maharashtra: With Kalyan for 150 kms and the rest alone :P

Backpacking across Greece and Italy: with Rajat Ghate (Whatta trip!)

Hiked across Santorini, Walked along Athens and drove to Meteora
Snow peaks and Dolomites of Bolzano, Canals of Venice, Scarlet Ferrari at Modena, Art of Florence, drives of Tuscany, towers of Pisa, Cliffs of Cinque Terre, Roman auditoriums, Napolean Pizzas, Mountains of Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompei

Joined BCG !

Never ending parties at Hyderabad with Mittal, Mwa, Rishabh, Gunt, Sakshi and Nimi

Shifted base to Pune with Bansal

Goa trip with Vaswani

Trip to Chennai:

Murugan Idly, Ente Keralam and the beach!

Trip to Pondicherry for a Weeklong stay by the sea:

Long walks along the promenade, Light houses, French and Italian restaurants and ashrams

Trip to Malaysia (KL and Langkawi) with BCG folks for ROP. : Goswami, AJ, Aysh, pappa, GG, Divya, Surbhi, Pesho, Bhal, Mimani, Sardar and many more

KL: Bunked training, KL tower, Pub hopping, Shopping arcades, Road side sushi, Westin, long lunches, and Short presentations
Langkawi: Distant Resorts, Long drives, water sports, cycle races, all night beer fest, dead cheap liquour shopping, super exotic dinners, colorful snakes and new friends

Trip to Goa for Viva with BCG at Hyatt: with BCG Cohort of 2011

Manali trip for a week: with Lambu and Kandi

Barren apple orchards, 100 Rs rooms, White water rafting, Village fairs, Beas kund trek, exhausted souls, 6 hour long board game sessions, Intoxication with Hookah, Sizzling food platters, Jenga, scrabble and Monopoly

Hyderabad trip to meet Yoda, Rad and Rishabh

3 day trip to Kakinada, my home town

Looking forward to the Goa trip for christmas and the new years at home :)

Bucket list

2011-12-12T15:37:00.001+05:30

This was a list that I had compiled in 2007 after attending a session at Deloitte where we were told about a guy who had a list of 127 things to do in his list and ended up completing over a 100. I was inspired and this is what followed...This is more or less a static list. There are ofcourse more additions and less deletions.

Do:

Fly a plane
Do adventure sports such as ~~para sailing~~ and Bungee
~~River rafting in India~~
Make a Sky Dive
Complete a professional course in mountain climbing
Go Fishing
Collect currency of all the countries in the world (63 countries done)
Watch an NBA game
Watch an F1 race - Live!

See - Travel :

See the pyramids at Giza
Go to South America and see Machupichu
Great Wall of China
Go to the TajMahal
Go on a world tour - Circle the world (Spend atleast 4 months doing so)
~~Visit the Eiffel Tower~~
Go on a cruise to Antarctica
Go to Greenland to meet the Eskimos
Do a village tour in India, Motorcycle diaries style (Done 2 in the south)
Light house tour of India (See all the lighthouses)
Go to Newzealand for backpacking
Trek to the Himalayan base camp
Visit the hill stations of India (A few in Uttaranchal and Maharashtra remaining)
Bike trip to Leh and Laddakh
Camping for a week in Himachal / J&K / Uttaranchal
Experience the thrill rides of Vegas
~~Bag pack across Italy~~

Write - Read - Learn:

Write a book on career avenues
Write a travel book (Crazy travel places, ideas etc)
Give a live magic show for 30 mins
~~Get proficient in English~~
Learn Italian, Tamil and Spanish
Learn more about the Indian independence story (read the book)
Read poems by Keats, Dickens and Shakespeare
Learn to play the synth, guitar and drums
Learn to do professional photography
Read 2000 books in life time
Learn caricature
Research and learn of various ancient cultures such as Romans, Egyptians, Mayans and Greek

Eat - Work :

Eat all of "1000 things to eat before you die"
Try the Ribs from Texas, Chipotle in Mexico and Sushi from Japan
Work for yourself
Start an organization for the old aged
Support one kid
~~Pursue an MBA Degree~~
~~Play basketball at some professional level.~~

Random:

Experience Zero gravity
Run a full marathon in under 5 hours
Do a stand-up comedy
Work a blue collar job
Study the butterflies
Get a dog
Play poker at a professional level
Start a shack at Goa and run it for 6 months

FDI in Retail

2011-12-01T16:20:00.001+05:30

If I think of all the stake holders getting affected in this decision and take a call on how it is going to affect each one of them.. Here is how the picture looks to me.

1. Large Indian retail chains: These are the guys who will probably be most affected. They are the ones who might be forced to make their supply chains much more leaner and cost efficient. They are the ones who will take the biggest hit from this "competition"

2. Small retail shops: The small kirana shops, if you ask me are safe. The same furore was there when the Indian retail was opened to bigger, organised players with deep pockets. However, today everyone plays on their own strenghts and have evolved, adapted

3. Farmers, Suppliers: Better bargaining power, better market for their products and might as well get some guidance (A win win). I dont see the possibility of any exploitation from the "deep pockets"

4. Politicians: Congress - Good move (long pending); BJP - Have to take up a fight to oppose it (Thats what opposition is for - protest without judging the merits of the move)

5. Consumers: We actually are the ones who are most profited as Prof. DTR pointed out. We will be spoilt for choice now. We will see many more companies competing to provide better service.

6. Macro Economy in general: Now from a marcro economic perspective, This will probably create jobs in sum total. True, there may be some firms that might go out of business. However, the overall economy will restructure itself and I believe that overall, many more jobs will be created.

Overall verdict: I dont see too many cons of this move. Time and again, we have studied that the main problem that India faced in the Nehruvian era was Competition, or lets say the lack of it.This will only enhance competition and hence result in better service overall .. hence.. A definte and emphatic Yes!

The love of my life...

2011-11-19T09:32:00.001+05:30

Like the first drop of the summer rain
and the distant hoot of the chugging train,
A long forgotten song that you loved
and the flutter of every butterfly that moved

Like the dew drop struggling on a lotus leaf
The conversation with your friend sharing your grief
A cup of coffee from mom early in the morning,
or a lazy sunday spent sleeping, eating and doing nothing!

A phone call from your childhood friend
The endless conversations with your girlfriend
The presence of the one person to come back to at nights
despite the arguments and the silly little fights

The fun in getting lost in a new place
The joy of being the reason for the smile on someone's face
A long walk along the seaside in solitude
or guzzling on the pizzas, dosas or any other good food

The joy of receiving a hand written letter
A nightout with friends in playful banter
The quick sleep stolen after the alarm rings
are some of those that define... the love of my life!

A week in Manali

2011-11-09T18:07:00.000+05:30

The room

The art of holidaying evolves for everyone over time. Earlier, holidays were more about activity, sightseeing and checking off everything there is to see in a place. Now it has evolved into something that values time, values each day, each hour and every activity done over the period of 1 week. 2 of my friends and me took a bus from Delhi to Manali. Reaching there Monday morning, we decided to chuck the prebooked hotel and took up a small cottage in the hills in Old Manali. At 100 Rs per day, this was one of the best cottages that I have ever stayed in. Overlooking the snow capped peaks and situated within an Apple orchard, this place was ideal for a lazy holiday.

Walk to the lake

The day we reached, we hired a car and went white water rafting in river Beas. The snow melted water was extremely cold. A 14km ride and 600 per head was worth the bone shattering swim. Later towards the evening, we visited the Dussera mela in Kulu which is held every year for 20 days. The next day was mostly about long walks, coffee shops and trek preparation.

The lake

Beas Kund lake is a popular trek that starts from Solang valley and is usually completed in 3 days. Situated at a height of 4471m, the trek to this glacial lake is a steep ~1000m climb in about 7-8 kms. Terrain is mostly through boulders, snow mounds and ridge crossings. Difficulty: Moderate. We decided to start from Dhundi and finish the trek in a day. We had taken about 6 hours to reach the lake and another 3 to return to the base. We actually had to take off our shoes and cross a river during the trek. The lake is surrounded on all 4 sides by snow capped peaks and is a delight to the eyes. Completing this trek in 9 hours gave us inexplicable satisfaction and incurable enervation. We had slept through most of the next day.

The next three days, we ended up holidaying in the most amazing way possible. There is a small cafe along the way to Manu temple called the Drifter's Inn. We had spent more than 5 hrs each day at this place playing every board game possible. Scrabble, Jenga and Monopoly were declared the winners. The cafe served some of the best continental food. Completed reading "A fine balance" by Rohinton Mistry and slept for more than 10 hours each day.

Focus on Jenga

Scrabble time!

Thats all about the week that was. A calm and peaceful Diwali it was!

"Set of guiding principles" or a "medium to control masses"?

2011-07-28T18:28:00.000+05:30

Religion for me has always been a very controversial topic. Mostly because of the contrast observed in the intended purpose and the ground reality of what religion is today. Idealogically speaking, religion is supposed to be a set of guiding principles of how a man should lead a just life. While the principles may be different, the underlying values are the same across Hinduism, Christianity or Islam. What religion started out to be was to teach a man to live life in such manner that he becomes one with nature. One set of rules for everyone to abide so that all can coexist peacefully.

What is pitiful though, is what religion has evolved into. Though my interpretation is largely pessimistic and not a generalisation in any manner, glimpses of what I will be speaking are still widely prevalant in todays world.

Religion for me is the sole source of communal problems in our country which the constitution defines as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. Although it is more to do with selfish individuals who have misused the concept for their own purposes including power, vote banks and many more. Religion is probably what led India to get separated from Pakistan. Religion is what killed a few thousands in Babri, a few more in Gujrat and many other instances that I can recall. There are political parties that exist where 50% of their manifestos are based on communal development. India has seen the emergence of caste system and untouchability over the last few centuries. So what fuelled these absurd rites? Caste system started off as a way of dividing the working population based on their profession. It is scary to think of what the same caste system has become today. Religion is often used as a tool by various religious leaders and thinkers to control the masses. The sins committed on the name of god are unpardonable. So how did religion evolve into what it is today? Why was there no control over what started out on a moral high ground. How did we let some people take it over and misuse it? I am not an atheist or a cynic for religion. I am just not happy about its misuse and its evolution into what it is today. I believe that the divinity is lost to some extent somewhere along the its road to where it stands today.

Looking at things differently, religion is essential in today's life. Practically speaking, it is the primary way in which the masses can be given a moral order which all can adhere to. Religion helps controlling chaos by defining a set of rules for behaviour and conduct. But most importantly, religion is the way of life for a lot of people. There are majority of people for whom religion is sacred and sacrosanct. It is the others who malign the concept, with whom my discontent lies.

Is there a solution to this? Can we maintain the sanctity of religion?

Disclaimer: I do not understand any other religion but Hinduism. Even in Hinduism, what I know is probably just the tip of the iceberg. My general discontent is for what I have observed personally and nothing more.

Serenity by the seaside

2011-07-25T00:27:00.008+05:30

Solace by the sea

I have always criticized the sea side towns even though I was born in one of those. They are sultry. They stink often. The beaches have always been dirty. I have always had this uncomfortable feel, thanks to the sweat and dirt. Most people I have met from these seaside towns have always defended their place, and its charm, passionately and vehemently. I never understood why.

Today as I sit by the beach once again, I cant help but admire the sea, admire the waves hitting the rocks relentlessly. Last few days, I have spent a good amount of my time in Pondicherry in Tamilnadu. The weather as in most of the South, was hot, humid and sultry. I spent most of time walking along the coast, sipping coffee at the beach side cafes, watching families flock towards the evenings. There is a different way of life here, along the sea side. The quaint beaches complemented by the buzzing of the crowds brings the place alive each and every minute. The constant rumbling of the waves against the rocks, the perpetual sea breeze, vendors selling anything and everything from bhel to mirchi bajji to baloons are things you have to sit and admire.There are all kinds of people that gather here. Old men meeting up with their friends to have discussion of how the new government is going to change the state, couples sitting on the rocks and exchanging sweet nothings, college students expressing their joy at Rajnikanth's comeback or the aunties discussing the latest soap that started on Sun TV.

Minutes and hours pass away easily just by sitting at the edge of the rocks and staring at the waves and people around. The most fascinating experience has been my hunt for the new lighthouse which was unfortunately off limits for me. The small fishing villages dotted along the coast are a treat to watch.

Each of these and all of these is probably what brings character to these towns. A kind of identity that we will have to fall in love with. Something we probably wont understand untill we live it.

Thinkers, Doers and the "Others"

2011-06-29T23:59:00.001+05:30

These broadly are the 3 kinds of men in the world out there today. The Thinkers, the doers and the "others". Way forward would not have been possible had it not been for the first two. Progress cannot happen unless the thinkers and the doers coexist and perform together. It is the third kind, the scavengers, who have lead second hand lives all along and squeezed every penny of the more resourceful ones.

While the thinkers provides a vision, a direction and a way forward, the doer implements and takes the idea / thought to a successful and meaningful completion. Mind you that these two sets are not exactly mutually exclusive. The most effective leaders have been those who have put their thoughts to action, those who have implemented their own strategies to success. Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hilter, Mahendra Singh Dhoni have become what they are only because they led from the front. They were able to convert their thoughts to actions.

So why exactly this abstract topic? This is an attempt to evoke thought in you. The world would be such a better place if everyone of us resolve into becoming one of these two instead of trying to pull down someone who actually is out there adding value, instead of criticizing someone who is trying to do something different. Are we making a difference? Are we doing some good to the world out there? Are we doing good to ourself?

Think!

A Tribute

2011-06-22T14:59:00.002+05:30

Taken from the theme song of Friends

I'll be there for you
When the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you
Like I've been there before
I'll be there for you
'Cuz you're there for me too...

You're still in bed at ten
And work began at eight
You've burned your breakfast
So far... things are goin' great

Your mother warned you there'd be days like these
Oh but she didn't tell you when the world has brought
You down to your knees that...

I'll be there for you
When the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you
Like I've been there before
I'll be there for you
'Cuz you're there for me too...

No one could ever know me
No one could ever see me
Seems you're the only one who knows
What it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with
Make it through all the rest with
Someone I'll always laugh with
Even at my worst I'm best with you, yeah

:)

A love story!

2011-05-18T04:21:00.000+05:30

There is usually a huge difference in the expectations and the on-ground reality for most MBA grads when it comes to management education. This is about a love story that every guy imagines.. A love story that "could have been".. A love story called management education.

MBA is like a brothel. You never really get the chance to fall in love. Fall in love with a subject or with a concept. There is so much focus on developing the managers of tomorrow that any indulgence that you display is only going to get back at you. Real Hard! Falling in love with a subject is only going to make sure that you love the others lesser than they deserve. Only a little love (Read: Time) is available for all the subjects put together. How you distribute is your headache. Some might enjoy finance more than marketing and some, economics over operations.

So the most optimal (Focus of optimality is on the marks rather than the understanding) is often the "one night stand". You barely look at her the whole term and the night before the exam, you cuddle her, cajole her and finally get her into bed with you. Now comes the best part.. Ditch.. Flee from the scene.. Never to look back.. Never to remember what she was like.

There are people who begin to develop crushes and flings. They typically spend enough "extra" time on one affair that the others would have taken offense by then and hence decreasing his overall pleasure gained (Read: GPA). The topper of course gets the distinction of being the Casanova. He manages to seduce not one but all of them at the same time. For those of you who aren't satisfied with the one night stands, there is always the Ph.D. :)

What is happiness

2011-02-26T06:20:00.003+05:30

I had earlier written a blog on how I defined happiness. A couple of us had a series of discussions around the same and this is a compendium of those discussions.

As we traversed quest for happiness by individuals to getting to define how one perceives happiness, there was one common string that linked them all. That at the end of the day, it is what you choose. I am happy if I choose to be so. Happiness we believe is internal. We can be happy without anything and at the same time, with everything, we may not be. The problem everyone faces today is that they define for themselves a concept of happiness, and then struggle to achieve it.

Further exploring the root cause for the so called, state of being, happiness, we had a diverse views when it came to understanding the term. Happiness is something that is a state of being, which can be controlled to remain calm and composed at all times and attaining such a state of poise is the ultimate goals of life.

Happiness is essentially a state where one feels at bliss and in unison with the nature. On the other end of the extreme, it is defined as a result of a series of emotions and in essence, the joy felt in the journey of fulfilling dreams and creating even better ones. While some of us argued for the ultimate nirvana where one aims for a state of eternal bliss, the others looked at happiness as a series of countless infinitesimal pleasures. The debate was whether this transient nature of happiness is worth fighting for. One persistent argument was that happiness was beyond being a state of mind whereas the others took a more pragmatic view that happiness is much more of emotions that a constant state.

It is probably up to you to understand whether happiness is a string of emotions or a constant state of being.

The Indian National Anthem

2011-02-15T03:15:00.003+05:30

Every time I have heard the Indian National Anthem, I have felt a chill down my spine. It erupts from a sudden gush of pride, belonging, awakening and may be a lot more. How many of us can proudly claim that they know the anthem word to word? How many of us don't observe that hint of awkwardness to stand up when the national anthem is heard nearby.

I still believe that the current generation who are in their 20s and beyond are doing marginally better than the kids. Is the pride for the country realised by all? Do they understand the Tiranga, the national anthem and our national heroes? Do you? I was not even surprised when a 10 year old kid exclaimed that the actor from "Lage raho Munna Bhai" was on the Indian 100 Rs. note. This incident is not an exaggeration but an awakening. May be its time each of us reflect on what this means to the generations to come. If we don't follow and teach, then some things will be lost forever. Jana gana mana.. should not be among those!

Gulmarg Calling...

2011-01-28T19:26:00.001+05:30

Lucknow - Delhi - Srinagar - Gulmarg and Back (total expenditure ~ Rs 13000)

Delhi to Srinagar flight - Rs. 3300 (750 Km)

View from the plane

we took a low cost carrier which was booked 10 days in advance and got a good bargain for the flight prices. The minute we got down the flight, the temperature outside was 0 deg. After Lucknow winters this was suddenly not so bad anymore. We immediately put on an extra layer of jacket. This was one of the most scenic flights ever taken. Sitting on the right side gives a gorgeous view of the Himalayas. The ground underneath was covered in a foot high snow everywhere.

Srinagar to Tangmarg - Rs. 1000 (40 Km) (Sharing - 50 Rs)

We hired a prepaid taxi (Available withing the airport) till Tangmarg which is close to Gulmarg. One has to change vehicles here towards Gulmarg as the road is covered in snow and hence only 4WD vehicles or those with chains on their tires can drive. Though the prepaid charged us 1000, there is surely a cheaper way to get here by getting to the city of Srinagar first, which would cost about Rs.50 and then taking the public bus which goes to Tangmarg. Given the lack of time, we went for the costlier option.

Gulmarg Entrance

Tangmarg to Gulmarg - Rs 30 (18 km)
This is the most beautiful part of the journey laced by snow peaked mountains on either sides and dotted with pines. Gives you the feeling that its Christmas. There are Sumos which can drop you at Gulmarg at Rs.30. Sharing a ride to the top is the best way from here. Don't fall into the trap of agents who tell you that buying / hiring gumboots and long coats is a must.

Gulmarg (3 days)

The Govt. Ski hire place

Getting a hotel is particularly easy. There are numerous hotel and people are few. Hotel prices vary as to how far they are from the Ski Slope, their heating facilities (Central heating Vs. Bukhara - Wood in a fire kiln) etc.. The central heating ones on a non weekend day could come for Rs.2500 per day where as the one we stayed (Hotel Sherlyn I guess) charged Rs. 800 (He'd have given for 600). The weekends get busy here owing to the local tourists. We went to IISM to hire skis for the 3 days that we were there. They charged Rs.350 per day for the equipment which was truly world class. They got us an instructor who could teach us skiing. Fayaz (09797868684) was an amazing instructor who taught both of us at the same time. He charged Rs. 500 per day (he will ask for more initially).

View from the Hotel room

Most of the first day was spent in learning to fall in all possible ways. By the end of the second day, both of us were able to ski down the slope at Gulmarg. Skiing was an absolutely thrilling sport which of course is equally tiring. The ski set together with the boots must be weighting around 5 Kgs. Walking up the ski slope each time with the boots was really an ordeal. We skiied all day and were completely exhausted by the evenings. The temparature drops all of a sudden in the evenings. After each day of skiing, we had dinner and Kashmiri Kehwa (Sweet drink with strong cinnamon flavor and dry fruits) each day. We also tried salty kashmiri tea and kashmiri pulao at Gulmarg.

On the third day, we went up on the top of the Phase II through the Gondola. The views from this place were absolutely fantastic. The ride till the top is completely worth it. One can get a clear view of the Nanga Parbat (8014 Mts) and the Sunshine peak as well as the mountains that guard the POK. There is a lake over and final mountain which is a 1km hike on the snow. Phase II is an absolute Skier's paradise. On our way back, we completely used public transport and were charged Rs.80 to get to the city of Srinagar from Gulmarg. We stayed the night at the Dal lake among one of its numerous house boats.

Awesome views atop Phase II

Beware that the security check at Srinagar is much more than the usual airports. The airline scanners close sharp 45 mins before departure and no hand luggage is allowed into the plane except for laptops and Cameras. There are a series of checks even before one reaches the airport. You also get dropped a km before the airport's main entrance if you get there by an auto. So keep atleast 1.5 hrs of buffer rather than the usual 1hr.

What is God?

2011-01-07T16:34:00.005+05:30

God - Its origins?

You might have noticed that I have used it rather than a he/she. Mankind has always been dependent. Man depends on his wife for care, for food and for sustenance of a family. Woman has depended on man for security, love and more. The early man feared most natural phenomenon such as thunder, lightning, earthquakes and floods. There were certain aspects that he did not understand about this planet and hence started 'praying' for help. He realized the existence of a greater force which had created all such natural destruction and started worshiping them. Here I believe was the origin. God as a greater force.

Evolution of a fear- Idols and Names

As time passed, due to various reasons which will be discussed further on, the idea of god was attributed with attributes like omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence and eternal existence. Man started worshiping the earth, the sky and each other phenomenon that he is scared of. He started naming each of the forces that he worshiped. Earth god was known as Gaia where as sky was worshiped as Jupiter in Greek history.

Evolution into an idea - Religion

Religion was only a fallout of the emergence of an idea called god. Each sect had their own way of praying. Each way gradually evolved into a religion which is nothing but an amalgamation of certain ideas of how to lead lives in a just manner. Not all religions had a physical idol as god. A god here refers to a greater force that dictated the moral good in Humans. However, what the religions have today evolved into is a debate in itself.

What is God?

God means different things to different people. God has been the greatest conception of man to solve multiple purposes. God is an idea that gives hope, support and a source of faith. Out of faith emerges belief in an idea. Early times visualized god as the guiding belief that enabled man to continue without fear of natural disasters. God today has evolved more as an source of belief owing to the values that are taught at our childhood. God is a powerful idea that dictates a moral etiquette.This

God has been created by the weak to rule over the strong (May not be in a literal sense). The Greek, Roman and Aztec histories are examples of how the priests (physically weak) had a say over the warriors class (strong). The priests portrayed themselves as the messengers of god and hence had the ultimate say in areas as diverse as defense and Administration.

Some people need a physical resemblance of the idea to guide them through their journey. Hence the concept of an Allah, A Ram, A Vishnu, A Brahma, A Jesus. Every physical figure that has ever been created by man has always been a man/woman. Virtuous men who have showed the world the way to lead a just life. So God is just a driving force, irrespective of whether you believe in a physical form or in an idea.

The important question

The question whether god exists or whether anyone has seen or if it is a male or a female is irrelevant. The more important question that we need to ask ourselves is whether we believe. Do we believe in something? Do we believe in anything? Do we believe in ourselves?

My Opinion - I am what I am

God exists. God exists in myself. I am my god. I can. I am my source of belief. I don't agree that someone else controls the universe. There is no such thing as fate, no such thing as destiny. I make my life. Does that make me an atheist? An Agnostic? May be not. Even I believe in god. Though its not the same as most.

Everything is explained by science. The big bang, the theory of evolution and many more such ideas explain the world I live in. However, I do acknowledge the fact that there is something superior which has started it all. The view I hold is that man has still not achieved expertise to deduce what that is. Until the day, man can explain that superior force which is the reason for all unexplainable things, I will acknowledge.

Roads taken - 2010

2010-12-30T04:03:00.000+05:30

As an yearly tradition, here is the list of places that I have visited in the last one year. Given an MBA curriculum, travel gets all the more difficult. Yet I have managed to do some trips.

March: Gwaldham and Munsiyari - Home to the Trishul and other peaks. Breath taking views of the Himalayas.
April: Summer internship in Bombay
May: Goa baby! Southern Goa - Lazing around the beaches, water sports, music and food :)
June: Goa again! This time up north, Casino fun!
September: Hemkund, Valley of flowers - Awesome trek, walked more than a 70 kms. Also saw Joshimath and Auli. One of the best treks I have been to.
Yet another Goa trip for the year. The third time this year. This time in the Taj resort with the whole of BCG. Loads of booze and a lot more fun

Why do I need a title?

2010-09-30T04:32:00.001+05:30

Its 4.10 in the morning/night. After a tiring day, I hit the bed by 2, which is has been a rarity lately. It was then that a friend of mine mentioned that the 8.45 class in the morning was canceled. This is a feeling that I used to feel as a kid when I suddenly knew that school had a holiday. Be it those political bandhs or because of some problem which was inevitably morphed in the joy of a holiday. After a few rounds of scrabble with unknown ppl, I started thinking. Right from Plato to Pluto. And here are a few of those thoughts that hit me..

If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject ~Ayn Rand

Call me a cynic, call me pessimist, but I don't agree with the concept of altruism. I cannot fathom its presence in today's world. Every action by an individual has an ulterior motive. Each alm you share with a beggar, each good deed that you have done today, everything has an underlying aspect of fulfillment of ones' need. Be it the need to feel good about yourself of be it the need to show others that you are generous. This however, is something most of them deny and would hate to accept. My intention is not to judge someone's action but just to instigate a thought.

I guess its time to sleep.. Too much abstractness is injurious to health.. My interpretation and take on Ayn Rand's statement to follow..

Hell to Heaven and back!

2010-09-17T01:39:00.001+05:30

With 8 days of term break, the initial plan was to go to the Pindari glacier near Gwaldham. Thanks to heavy rains and landslides, we made our way to a relatively easier trek: The valley of flowers and Hemkund sahib! Valley of flowers is a fairly easy trek that does not need any preparation except for some warm clothes. We ultimately ended up walking about 70 kms in 4 days and traveled the other 4. Scenic. Simple. Beautiful.

1st Sep: Train from Lucknow to Haldwani / Kathgodam. Highly uneventful except for the 2.5 wait at the railway station :P

2nd Sep: Train arrived at 10:30 at Haldwani. Had a good lunch and then booked a cab from Haldwani to Joshimath and back for 8 days at a stretch. For seven of us, this was a far more economic option as compared to using public transport. By the day end we could reach only till Ranikhet due to a couple of bridges that collapsed on the main road. So a detour was required. Ranikhet was a quaint little town and more so in the off season.

3rd Sep: Most of the day was spent in traveling again and we reached from Ranikhet to Joshimath by 4 in the evening. The drive was amidst scenic hill stations and curvy roads. An early break at Joshimath meant roaming around the locale. This being the off season, hotels were easily available and at a good price too.

4th Sep: We started for Govind ghat, the starting point of the trek for Valley of flowers and Hemkund. Govind ghat was about 18 kms from Joshimath and took us about an hour to reach. We could see huge stones that just fell off the mountain on the roads and the beauty of the mountains was breath taking. The target for the day was to reach Ghangariya which was 13 kms from Govindghat and took us close to 5.5 hrs for completion. This being a very popular trek, especially with the Sikhs who make the trip every year to visit the Gurudwara, there were plenty of dhabas on the way which served various items ranging from Paranthas to dry fruits, cool drinks, water and a lot more. One can also hire mules to get to either Ghangariya or all the way till Hemkund for a cost of around 500. The journey upto Ghangariya base is mostly uphill where we gain close to 1200 mts in altitude. One can witness the mighty mountains, never ending series of waterfalls while the white waters from the glacier melted peaks flows at a furious pace. We reached Ghangariya by 1:30 and 2 of us decided to rush to get a glimpse of the valley of flowers. At this time of the year, hotels are abundant. Food and stay should not typically be a owing to the continuous traffic this place sees due to the pilgrims headed to Hemkund.

5th Sep: Valley of flowers opens at 6 in the morning and is closed by 5 in the evening. However one has to enter before 2 PM after the the entrance gets closed for the day. Valley of flowers is 3 kms from the Ghangariya base. We found huge mountains with vertical faces adjoining the stream that flows by the side. On a clear day, one can see the ice capped Gauri parvat and colorful flowers blossoming all around. The valley is known to produce over 50 varieties of flora with most flowers having specific periods when they appear. The best time to see the valley of flowers in the first week of June when the valley officially get opened for the public. By September, there are far few flowers and you can expect the whole valley to be covered in fog most part of the day. From the start of the valley, one can go as deep as 8 kms into the valley which takes us very close to the glaciers nearby. We stayed in the valley almost till 3 in the afternoon after walking a total of close to 22 kms. Expect a continuous downpour starting at 12 noon.

6th Sep: Early in the morning we started for Hemkund, which was a 6 km trek uphill all the way. A lot of them hire mules to do this journey. This route is again filled with a lot of Dhabas on the way which offer food and water. After about 2.5 hrs of ascent, we reached Hemkund by 9.40 in the morning. Hemkund stands at 4400 mts above sea level and hence is mostly covered in clouds. The weather can get extremely cold in a very short span of time. We were lucky to get 30 mins clear view of the pristine lake. The gurudwara serves hot food and chai to all the pilgrims to Hemkund which was tasted heavenly after the strenuous trek. This natural lake is formed by the water that comes from adjacent mountains and is frozen most part of the year.

We reached down to the base again by 2 PM by which time we had done close to 54 kms. The rest of the day was spent playing cards and sleeping.

7th Sep: We started back to Govindghat early in the morning and reached there by 11:30 in the morning. We headed to Auli for lunch and then to Karanprayag for the night. Karanprayag offered splendid views of the sangam from the hotel room.

8th Sep: The whole day went in traveling from Karanprayag to Kathgodam where we caught the train back to lucknow.

The girl in the mirror

2010-06-21T19:03:00.004+05:30

There she was
flowing in pink
jumping with joy
the girl in the mirror

the wind stopped for her
the earth stood still
the birds stopped chirping
the clock stopped ticking

she waited there
for her love, her life
she waited for this day
for it was all she ever dreamed of

There she stood
as colorful as the flapping wings of a butterfly
as beautiful as the rain drop on the lotus leaf
the girl in the mirror

Summer of '10

2010-06-13T09:47:00.003+05:30

All summers till date, I have spent either traveling or getting back to my village. This summer was different. This summer I haven't traveled. I spent all of it in one place - Mumbai.

Before it all had started, I know I was heading to yet another rat race with in the CAT race. The internship saga that happens in all the IIMs. I was waiting for it. I was ready to take it head on. It had been a wonderful experience. Learning about Rubies, Sapphires and Emeralds wasn't something I was prepared for. But what the heck.. It was interesting. Following it up with farming, It couldn't have got any better.

The whole of two months just passed in a flurry. 2 of my main activities - Work or come back home and sleep. Weekly parties, monthly outing and movies set the tone. I have been to some of the best eateries of Mumbai. I have had the most exotic food. I interacted with the best of the best. To sum it up.. It was an 'experience'.

I got a chance to visit Goa for the first time.. Loved it so much that I went back again towards the end. While the first visit was a serene two day holiday amidst the coconut trees, the second was a wild casino party. Goa is one place I will remember for the time to come.

Now that I have come back to the campus, It feels empty. It feels free and liberated.

Trouble Maker!

2010-02-19T05:54:00.004+05:30

Its 5.53 AM. For the past 5 days, I have slept 2,3,3,4 and 5 hours respectively. Yet I look forward to getting back to the legendary Operations tents. I work from 8 in the night to 12 in the afternoon. Believe me its been a fun ride. Its all gonna come to an end. These 5 days have been extremely busy.. Running around, Trouble shooting and a lot more than I could normally take. Not once was I actually tired, mentally. As physically exhausting as it was, it was a great team to work with and great fun all in all :)

That thing they call HAPPINESS

2010-02-07T17:15:00.001+05:30

As I woke up with a smile in the morning, I noticed that I was visibly happy most part of the day. I sat wondering what is it that makes me happy, makes me smile. Often do I feel this way, but its not everyday that i feel this bliss, not everyday that I feel so much at peace with myself. Such a simple question and yet an nonexistent answer. The day I end up answering it, My life would be Utopian!

Come to think of it, I find my happiness in the watching the rising sun along the sea shore, watching the setting sun, the waves! I find it in silence, in solitude, in loneliness, in my freedom to say no and more importantly to say yes! I find happiness in my will, my resolve, in good food, in a country song or in a good book.

I find it in a warm smile, a passionate kiss, a hot cup of coffee, a heartfelt compliment from someone, in watching the stars, deciphering the full moon, staring at the crescent, on a cold winter morning or the unusual showers. I find happiness in a cup of vanilla icecream, the sleep after a hard day work or with the newspaper in the loo :)

At the end of the day, it is what you choose. I am happy if I choose to be so. Happiness comprises of such minute fractions and memories of joy. A kind look or a forgotten act of charity and other such countless infinitesimal pleasurable feelings constitute my happiness.!

As I look back at the happiest moments of my life, strangely its not the cracking the IITs and IIMs that I remember. Its the memories of my family, my friends, the games i played as a kid, time spent with my family that hit me back! Am I surprised? No!!

A smile on someones face because of me is what gives me the greatest joy...

Of Forests, Watch towers and Elephants!

2010-01-13T18:41:00.010+05:30

Dudwa Wildlife Sanctuary - November 30th, 2009

Dudwa is synonymous with strolls in the forest and solitude. Calm, peaceful and pleasant.

The first trip out of IIM L, Khadu, Penguin, Sudeep, Gogo, Shaggy, Ghasi and myself, we found our recluse at the Dudwa WLS on the border of Nepal. 238 Kms from Lucknow, the journey took us roughly 5 hours by a Qualis. Thanks to Sudeep, We booked our rooms at the Tharu huts to avoid any accommodation hassles. We started from the campus at 2.30 and reached the camp at 7.30 in the night. Breaking away from the monotony of life we got accustomed to, most of the journey was spent singing songs and eating ganna.

The first night at this place was mostly fun & frolic. Signature, Kingfisher, Caste, Religion, India and Politics all came in at the same time and provided some profound discussions till 4 in the night. The next morning, we took our vehicle and went out for a stroll in the forest. The gates are open only between 7-10 in the morning and again from 2-5 in the afternoon. After a jolly ride through the absolute green, we decided to go to Nepal which is a 15 km drive from the camp.

Unfortunately some Maoists bombed the border village of Nepal and hence we could not go much on the inside. However, we did buy certain souvenirs in the local market. Filled with shawls, clothes, perfumes and a lot more genuinely fake stuff, the market was bustling with activity. There was a watch tower at one end of the camp which provided a great view from the top. We spent a lot of time chatting away at the top! The night was spent mostly playing killer and mafia, games taught to us by shaggy. We never thought playing these games would be so much fun.

We managed to get hold of elephants for a ride in the forest on the final day. A slow and three hour long ride amidst the trees was a splendid experience.

Total distance: 550 kms
Time: 2 days
Cost: about Rs. 2000

The Roads taken - 2009

2010-01-01T01:02:00.003+05:30

Here is what I had written exactly an year ago - Roads taken 2008

An year down, I see in retrospect and it hasn't been that bad really!
I had my share of travels and here is the short list.

Jan - Road trip - Hyderabad - Horsley hills - Talakona - Hyderabad. A total of 1350 kms in 2 days and in 2 cars. A nights' sleep in the open on a hill in sleeping bags!

March - Bangalore

May - After about 5 months of being busy with 'cat prep' and 'interview' and what-nots, The drought was ended with an awesome road trip to Kerala. Again 2300 kms in 7 days.. Slept on railway platforms, in tea plantations, trekked in Wayanad, Rode the beaches of Kasargod and saw the beauty of Agumbe and Hampi

June - Yet another month of immense travel. This time my travels took me west to Germany, Switzerland and France. Mesmerized by the meadows of Switzerland, the Autobahn of Germany and the Eiffel tower of Paris, This would be one trip that I am not going to forget

Followed it up with a road trip to Rajahmundry and Kakinada.. With roads like those.. it was pure driving pleasure

December - Ended it up with a trip up north to Dudwa wild life sanctuary on the border of Nepal. 2 days .. nothing but the forests and us!

Wanderlust Prevails ..

Another year come and gone..

2010-01-01T00:40:00.003+05:30

As a principle, I hate Newyears and Bdays and any other so called days that attract too much attention and hype. I somehow fail to share the same joy with which others prepare, plan and proceed to execute the 'Most important day of my life' every new years eve.

So whats the big deal?

You get an year older..
You get together and drink with your friends (after paying 1500 for the couple entry) which otherwise you would normally do at home anyway..
Contrary to my opinions, You have an unnecessary pressure and being good and doing good on the first day of the year
You have resolutions to take and mull over those that you have broken
There is this notion that you have to smile, look good and most importantly, Look Happy!
You notice extraordinary amounts of attention by papers, media and people in general. Guess its just good business

For me all these days are just another day that has come and gone
I rather have fun when there is no pressure to have fun
This pressure and this expectation is probably what causes my indifference

P.S. My MBA is not to be blamed