Neeraj's Take On.......

Trip to Robot Themed Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 12:22:00 +0000

Whenever we move to a new city, a must-do list on our itinerary is to explore it. Beaches, Cafes, Restaurants, Sightseeing places and so on...

While studying in school, I came across a program called OMG! Yeh Mera India, which brings fascinating people, locations, and events from around India to the front. In one of the episodes, the viewers were introduced to Robot Themed Restaurant in Chennai. The restaurant's specialty, as the name suggests, is the robots. The robots move around the restaurant using a magnetic strip on the floor to guide them to the diner's table. Each table has a specific number, which the 'human waiters' would program into them. The diners could take the plates from the trays of the robots, or a human waiter, who will be behind the robot at all times- just in case something goes wrong- will serve the dishes.

When I saw this, I was intrigued. Maybe when I go to Chennai, I'll have to go to this place...

And I did go to Chennai. Four years later, I came to study at IIT Madras. I did not venture out much during my first semester, and the pandemic cut short the second semester. So by the time I returned to campus, I was already in my sixth semester. With the pandemic getting strong at any time, it was ideal that I make the most of the time available. So I decided to give it a go- I am going to the Robot Themed Restaurant!

I made a reservation for a table at 2pm (thought it was a fancy restaurant), got the directions and instructions from Deva uncle, who is from Chennai and runs an ironing center here in IIT Madras, that I should take any bus that goes to OMR. So I go to the bus stop outside IIT Madras and wait for a bus going to OMR. I waited 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes... Not one bus to OMR!

I was thinking, 'How come there isn't a single bus to OMR, one of the most well-known places in Chennai?' (Later, I realized that OMR isn't a place. Its full form is Old Mahabalipuram Road. There are no bus stops for roads, are there? Let me know in the comments!)

With my reservation time fast approaching, I took a cab to the Robot Themed Restaurant. When I landed there, I was a bit surprised. The restaurant was nothing like what I thought it would be. It was on the second floor of a three-storied building and had a board that a regular store would have. I was wondering whether I had come to the right spot. Since I saw the board, I thought no harm in going inside and finding out.

When I went upstairs, I realized I was in the right place. Thank God!

The waiter asked me, have you made a reservation, sir? Yes, I did, under the name Neeraj.

Then they showed me to a two-seater table. However, I was in for a rude shock. I was the only diner there! It got me wondering, something is not right here......

So I ordered chicken biryani and asked the waiters where the robots were. He told me they were in the workers' lounge behind the tables. I asked him if I could get a picture with them, to which he agreed. So, I entered the restricted workers' lounge and got a picture of the robots. Even the robot smiled, you see!!

And then the moment of magic! The robot started coming with my chicken biryani, and when it came to my table, it turned around and said in its robotic voice:

"Please take the dish from my tray. I have to serve other customers" (or something along those lines).

I took my biryani from the tray, and the robot waiter went its way. After I was done with the dish, I asked the waiter,

Don't you get a lot of customers even when you have the robots?

He replied, "Yes, sir, we do. It's just that you came in the afternoon, which is when there is hardly any business. If you had come at night, then the place would have been packed, and it would be really difficult to get the orders out in time because everyone wants to be served by the robots, while we only have two robots now".

Well, everyone wants to be served by robots. That's why the people come to the restaurant in the first place!!!

Anyway, it was time to go home once the lunch was done and paid for. Uber in Chennai is really expensive. So I decided to catch a bus. But which bus to catch? The only place I know apart from IIT Madras, without looking at Google Maps, is Adyar, but I haven't even seen Adyar! So how will I know where to get off?

With prayers to God, I got on a bus that had Adyar as a stop, and I told the conductor to tell me when Adyar came, and when he told me that the bus had reached Adyar, I had to ask Google uncle to take me home (IIT Madras of course!). And Google uncle told me that I am 500m away from IIT. So what do I do? Walk!

So, I started walking back to campus. With the image of a cheeky robot smiling at my camera...

A Co-Quarantiner

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 16:37:00 +0000

When you get COVID and you have to quarantine, the thought of getting into isolation slowly sinks in. When I got down with COVID on Sunday evening, it was this same thought process that I was going through. When I returned home after finding out that I had COVID, the preparations for my quarantine started- my mom started packing clothes for the week. She gave me a separate plate and dishwashing liquid to wash it and separate washing soap to wash the clothes. But a surprise was due the next day...

When I got up the next morning, I found my mom was coughing like I had used to the previous day. So my dad took her to the hospital. After about an hour, I found my mom bringing her supplies to my room.

I asked her, " You too?"

"Yes".

This isn't going to go well for anyone!!

And then started our home quarantine together!

The first few days were a bit too uneasy. I used to walk out of the door, just like I normally would, before realising that I was under quarantine and rushed back to the room. My mom's plight was even worse: she kept complaining that she had nothing to do in quarantine. So me and my mom started reading books: I read Jackie Chan's autobiography while she read Sudha Murthy's book One Thousand Stitches. By the time we both got out of quarantine, we had finished reading the books (my mom finished reading the book twice!)

The lunch situation in the house was a big mess. The only two people who knew how to cook- me and my mom- were in quarantine, and there was no way we could go to the kitchen and cook food for all. So my dad had to buy food for everyone. How many times do you ask? Three times a day!

My grandpa, dad and sister had no choice but to eat the food my dad bought. Even I didn't have a problem, because I occasionally eat food from outside. The only person who had issues with the 'outside food' was my mom. What issue? They were outside!!

Every day when the food came, it was the same story: this doesn't taste good enough, that curry could have been done better, why do they put such big pieces, the list just goes on. The problem was she doesn't like outside food. She prefers only homemade food, no matter what. I, on the other hand, devoured all the food before me. Come on, I was hungry; what did you expect me to do?

After a day or two, we adjusted, but the situation outside the room was also a bit gruesome. Food didn't come on time, dirty plates piled up, no snacks in the evening for the trio and whatnot. Everyone badly wanted us to be out of quarantine ASAP!!!

And that they did come. A week after quarantine, we got ourselves tested. Both Negative!!! Hurray!

And things slowly went back to where they were before our co-quarantine.

D-Day: How COVID happened

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Sat, 21 May 2022 06:12:00 +0000

Two years into the pandemic, with people all around contracting COVID and some less lucky ones not making it, contracting COVID seemed inevitable. Even after all the precautions we take, from wearing our masks to sanitising our hands, we never know when and where we might contract COVID. But the end result is that we get COVID, and we stay home for a week possibly...

When COVID started, everyone, including me, witnessed the hardships those who contracted COVID had to go through, especially the part where patients couldn't move out of their rooms. The fear of having "nothing to do" made us extra vigilant about the precautions. But we never know where COVID strikes us from, and it sure does...

Towards the end of January, on a Thursday, I thought of getting myself a haircut. It's been two months since I cut my hair, and it's really affecting my game ( I was playing badminton during this time, and I still am). So I walked to the city centre and got myself a haircut. Came back walking, had a bath and got on with my duties. Life just went on...

But towards the night, I started getting mild coughs. I thought it was because of the long walk I had to the hair salon after a really long time. So I went to the usual medicines: Tablets, Cough Syrups, tying a cloth around my neck etc. Had some relief and then went straight to bed. Come next day, I was too weak to get out of bed. I was still coughing, and the usual remedies didn't work.

Now there is some backstory you need to know. My father had similar coughs about a week ago, and so did my sister. They both went to the family doctor and got the medicines. They got themselves tested just to rule out the possibility of COVID; both of them tested negative. So when I got sick, it was logical to assume that it was just a typical case of fever. So my dad and I went to the family doctor, got the medicines, and went into full rest mode.

By Saturday morning, I felt better- cough nearly gone, no body pain. So I got back to work, but everything started coming back by evening- but more severe this time. With the persistent coughs and increased body pain, I wondered, 'Is this it? Is this COVID?'. But it can't be... Two people in the house had similar symptoms, so how will I get it?

After spending the night in pain, I finally woke up to a sense of ease and relief on Sunday morning, the 30th of January. But the afternoon didn't turn out to be great, and by the evening, I was down with body pain and the coughs once again, except this time, my chest was burning with every cough. That burning sensation made it (almost) clear that this wasn't a common fever, and I decided to get myself tested at a nearby hospital.

The trip to the hospital was a story in itself. My father came to pick me up in his scooter, and he was all panicky. Before I got on the scooter, he took off at full speed, without me! I was too weak to run behind him or shout at him to stop. The thing is, he didn't even turn to look if I got on. So I went back to the house and phoned him. He went halfway to the hospital without realising that I wasn't in the back seat! The embarrassment if he had learned he didn't pick me up after reaching the hospital!

But he came back, picked me up and sped to the hospital. The COVID testing unit was located outside the hospital building, and two people were waiting in line. After they had their tests, I had my test. I had to take a swab test from my nose, and I didn't know that they would insert the swab deep into the nose. Once that realisation dawned upon me, I couldn't yell, scream or get up (out of embarrassment). All I could do was sit there and clench the plastic chair with all my strength!! ( Thank God it didn't break!!)

I waited outside after the swab test, and the doctor screamed ALL POSITIVE!! I thought she meant the two people who went ahead of me. So my father and I went to her just to confirm. Then came the words, "even Neeraj is positive". The day I had been dreading for months had finally arrived! I was officially a COVID patient!! The reality began to slowly sink- a room all to myself, only a smartphone and a few books for entertainment and lots of sleep. Hmmm.. Sounds good enough!!

I went upstairs to the COVID ward, and they did a blood test, found that my vitals were all stable, and prescribed medicines and lots of rest... Got back home, and my mom started packing all my clothes to be shifted to the next room... I had to clean my plate and leave it at the entrance, which is something I have never done, bathed and went to sleep, thinking about the boring quarantine life... But it wasn't going to be as dull as I thought it would be....

So Close, yet So Far

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 10:54:00 +0000

COVID-19, Covid, Corona... The virus, with its many variants, has snatched and is continuing to snatch something dear from everyone... It could be a loved one, the freedom to roam anywhere or a few cherished experiences...

Office goers may always look forward to the chats they have with their officemates, and for students like me, it's meeting up with friends and teachers after seeing (or not seeing) each other. We did get that chance, but it slipped from our hands really soon...

Our batch came back from IITM in March 2020 because of the Covid scare. We never foresaw the scare spiralling into a pandemic and the two-week "midsem break" turning into a two-year stay-at-home-and-do-everything exercise. At first, online learning was exciting... Can learn at our own pace and most importantly for a student like me, no proctored exams and a three-hour clock hanging above us within which we had to give our best answers, online assignments with choices and week or sometimes month-long deadlines... Things were beautiful in online learning... Until..

It no longer felt interesting. We get up in the morning, brush our teeth, have our breakfast and sit in front of the laptop, listening to the professor's lecture while keeping our camera's off. The professor will then give us assignments, guidelines and deadlines, and we submit them. Sem over. Repeat.... Meanwhile, our junior batch also joined college but couldn't come to insti due to the COVID scare. There were online campaigns and other activities, but nothing really took off.

This went on for three and a half semesters until a ray of hope shone in our lives. Towards the end of November, we received a message from the Institute administration asking for our vaccination details, like whether you take a single or double dose and what was the vaccine. Our joy knew no bounds because the logical step after collecting the vaccination details was to tell us the dates when we could come back.

You don't know how excited I was!!!

And that message did come on Christmas day, and the Institute admin became our Santa Claus. Jan 17-19 are the dates allotted for the 2019 batch to return to the Institute and stay under mandatory hostel quarantine for seven days and then get tested to see if we could leave the hostel. The 2020 batch, our immediate juniors, came back to campus in the third week of December, and the 2018 batch, our immediate seniors, were to come to campus in the first week of January. 7 days quarantine or 14 days quarantine, I don't care... All I want is to get back to Institute ASAP!!!

I then started the preparations for my 'return trip'. I started pestering my dad to get all the stuff needed for the trip: an extra luggage bag, clothes, footwear and other miscellaneous items. However, my dad kept saying, " I am not buying anything right now. Let the day when you are returning arrive near. Then I'll buy you all the stuff. I thought he was making a big mistake of buying all the stuff at the last minute, but I later realised there was something I didn't know of.

Anyways, back to the return trip planning. I booked the air ticket and the e-pass required to enter Tamil Nadu and patiently waited for 17th January, the departure date from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai, to arrive. However, COVID had other plans and threatened to ruin our return plans.

Towards the end of November, when I was chilling during the winter break, a news headline appeared on the screen: New COVID Variant found in South Africa.

You have got to be kidding me!!!

I knew if something terrible happens regarding COVID anywhere in the world, it is only a matter of time before it reaches India. A few days after the Omicron strain was first detected, India reported its first Omicron case. I knew by then that my travel plans were in jeopardy but still hoped that I would go back...

But December was not really a good month. There were early signs of a spike in COVID cases around the country. By the time our seniors, the 2018 batch, returned to campus, COVID cases started climbing in Chennai. But I still held out hope and prayed that the "dreaded message" didn't come.

But it did come. On 6th January, the Institute sent an email telling the 2019 batch to postpone their return plans due to the rising COVID cases. Our juniors returned to Insti, our seniors returned to Insti, but we were stuck at home once again!

A few days back, the Institute once again asked for the vaccination details of the 2019 batch. There might be a good chance that we might go back to campus. Fingers crossed!!!

Only App for Top Post

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 05:50:00 +0000

Towards the end of October, I got an email from SAATHI or the Student Wellness Body of IIT Madras calling applications for the post of department representative. At first, I didn't apply, thinking that I may not be the right person for the job, but then I thought, No Pain, No Gain!!! So I applied.

The people at SAATHI (basically students) asked me to join a WhatsApp group to have my doubts about the positions and responsibilities of the position clarified to make up my mind before I submit my application. The thing is, I submitted my application even before they asked me to join the group! 😅😂😂

See, I like getting things done ASAP and not keeping them pending for too long. This was one such thing that I wanted out of my way.

So about a week later, I was added to a different group created by the people at SAATHI for those shortlisted for the interview stage, and I could not find anyone from my department. When I joined the other group where I could have had my doubts cleared, I saw 3-4 people from my department also in it, which I took as a sign that there would be a further screening before the appointment is made. Cut across a week later, I find out that's not the case.

So, I asked one of the group admins whether there would be adding anyone more from the HS (short for Humanities) department. She said, 'Yeah, we would love to.... If we had more applications from the HS department.

My mind voice: What does that suppose to mean?

She: Your application is the only one from the HS Department!!!

My mind voice: I'm getting the job!!!!

My actual voice (desperate attempt to look calm): Will there be an interview?

She: Most likely not.. Other departments have three-four applications. Therefore, they'll be having an interview.

Ok. So no interview. That's for sure. Atleast that's what I thought....

A week later, a new message in the aspiring department representatives group about the schedule for interviews. I opened up the doc, and guess what, my name was in it! The people at SAATHI want to interview me anyway!

6:30 pm. Neeraj, join link 1, the message came up on the group. I joined the link, and there were two people from the 2019 batch (people from SAATHI).

Their first question was just what I expected: Why didn't other people from your department apply for the post?

I said, " It's highly likely that the notification was not paid attention to given that a majority of the common emails we receive is of use only for you techies, not people from our department".

Well, the truth is I don't know why they didn't apply, but I had to come up with an answer and not look stupid in front of them!!

The panel did seem convinced, and I thought the meeting was over, and it sure was over. They told me what my responsibilities as Department Representative will be, and they said you may leave the meet. That brought the curtains down for the interview for the post I knew I was selected...

Cut to the third week of November, and my first assignment as department representative came- finding suitable candidates to mentor the incoming freshmen (who had already come in the case of my department).

A fellow department mate who was in the higher positions of SAATHI told me that our department always doesn't get enough applications, which means an unhealthy mentor-mentee ratio. Pressure😖😖

When the first round of applications for mentors was called, I got nine applications. I thought, well, that's a good number. But my head (the position, not the one above my neck) told me that around 12-15 applications were needed.

From where am I to get 4 more applications?

But then, like the saying, when you need something, the universe conspires to make that happen. I don't know which universe that is, but I did get people asking me if they could submit their applications beyond the deadline.

I was told, Open them for just one night. No further than that.

After the second round, I got 15 applications. Phew! Now for the worst part, evaluating them. I was given a deadline by which I was told to complete the evaluation, provide remarks and most importantly, tell the heads whether a particular applicant is suitable to be a mentor or not.

After sending the list of recommended applicants to my heads, nothing for a few days.

Then around 29th November, we flung into action and informed the incoming batch (which already came in my case) as to who their mentors are. I got a list of fifty-eight students from the 2021 batch to whom I had to send the emails.

Thank God for Excel and the mandatory IT Lab course in the second sem. A job that could have taken around half an hour done in five minutes!! After sending the allotments, time to rest.. Well, actually, it was time to do two pending endsem assignments.

After that, I feel like my job as a department representative has become more like a corporate manager, trying his best to get the best out of his employees ( which in my case are the HS department mentors) while trying not to appear nagging (which will inevitably happen).

But till then, let me keep working!!

Mentoring Freshies

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 16:49:00 +0000

Stepping into college from school is a process in itself. It takes a substantial amount of effort to adjust and adapt to the new academic and campus environment. Colleges have a system where seniors are to help their juniors transition into college life and be a helping hand in college and a shoulder to lean on....

This is kind of what the Job description of a mentor looks like

But being a mentor and handling mentees is not an easy job.....

When I joined IIT in 2019, I was assigned a mentor-a senior from my department. He was my Buddy Mentor. Then I was assigned another mentor called SAATHI mentor. To this day, I don't know the exact difference between the two. The only insight I can give you about the difference is that the former is an academic mentor while the other is a mental wellness mentor.

However, the mentee experience was not that great. I met my Buddy Mentor as a mentee only once and all our further interactions were restricted to WhatsApp. I now don't know who my SAATHI mentor is!! So I decided to be different when I become a mentor.....

And that time did come... This year! I applied for the post of Buddy Mentor for the students of the 2020 batch. I got the job, and our Department Secretary assigned three mentees to me. My job has just begun... But with a difference,

It went from this....

to this.....

If this wasn't pressure enough, due to the pandemic, the entire process of allotting mentors was delayed. They did have mentors in the first year but they were formally allotted mentors only in the second year. So, it is a different job than what I had seen.

I and my mentees from the 2020 batch decided to meet over the weekend through Zoom. But when the meeting took place, the beginning was as expected- no cameras turned on!! I then understood the plight teachers are going through in online classes. Teaching without knowing who your students are is an unpleasant experience.. I feel for them 😔😔😔.

But I got them to turn on their webcams for a few seconds. Then we had a chat about how their online semester was, some fun incidents in both their and my classes and finally, as a dutiful senior, I gave them tips on how to be better in the department.

Before leaving, we agreed to meet once a month. I have to try not to make the mistakes my mentors did because the transition into college life, that too during the pandemic, may not be pleasant for all.

I may have one batch covered. But there's still one more batch to talk about. That's a story for another time

Article for Article 19

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

My department at IIT Madras-the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences- has a peculiar way of allotting the streams of specialization starting from the third year of the five-year course I am enrolled in. The performance of the first three semesters in terms of the CGPA will be taken into account while deciding the stream to be allotted to a student.

There are only two streams available: Development Studies and English Studies. Having studied English courses for the first two semesters gave me a clear image that English is not for me. I could not risk getting into English Studies. Therefore, I had to make sure that the grades in other courses compensate for the not-so-okay grades in English. This meant that only studies, studies and studies for the two years. Any other activity that could prove to be detrimental to studies were cut off immediately. This meant no Positions of Responsibility or PoRs for two years.

That strategy paid off, and I was allotted the Development Studies stream. Now that the stream is assured, I thought, why not take up some PoRs?

Hmm... Maybe that's a good idea!

At that time, Article 19, the department newsletter, called for applications for the post of Correspondent and Editor (Content) among others. I first filled up the form of Editor (Content) and then a thought struck me, why will they give such a high position to me, who had no experience with how Article 19 works?

Then I deleted the application and filled the application for the post of Correspondent, which is the beginner level PoR at Article 19. Though we should aim for the stars, that principle does not work in the working hierarchy, and definitely not when a newbie applies to be the Editor (Content). How I go from Mr. Nobody to Editor in an instant? NEVER!!!! Start from the basics.

I applied for the post and got selected. My first assignment was to write something about Pride Month and about the LGBTQI+ community. I wrote an article about India's economic loss due to LGBTQI+ discrimination.

Writing according to someone else's standards is a new experience in itself. When I write my blogs, be it this one or the one about books, I do one write-up, check for grammar and publish it. Now, my editor said this is incomplete, that needs more elaboration, etc.

After multiple trials and errors, the article was ready for publication. It was published on the official website of our Department newsletter somewhere in the afternoon but not formally announced. Once I realized the article was published, I rushed to publicize it.

Then I went,

Whoa! This is not my blog, this is someone else's site. You can't do what you regularly do. So I had to wait for the Editorial team to announce the publication of my article before I started publicizing it.

I realize, one cannot become a good writer by writing on one's own. It happens when one writes for someone else. Only then will we be shaped by objective criticism than subjective encouragement.

An Internship during Pandemic

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 05:02:00 +0000

When the second year (an entire laptop-only year) was drawing to a close, I thought, why not do something worthwhile this semester break?

The last two were not that productive; online courses, play, etc. Why not earn some money??

I went straight to the God of Internship for beginning interns like me: Internshala. I entered my preferences: 2-months max, content writing, paid preferably (that's in my mind, not in Internshala filters). Clicked Apply filters...

Boom!!! 500+ Internships available. It was 8 pm, and mom said, "You get over here and eat your dinner before I come there." The thing about mothers is no matter what the situation is -post-surgery rest, illness- they will always find the strength to yell at the "children" 😇😇😅😅.

I weighed searching for internships with my mother's "call" and found that the scale is flat on the ground on the mother's call..... Get dinner over with and resume internship search.....

Dinner finished, and back to internship search. The first few days saw me scrolling through the various internships, reading what to do if selected and the perks involved (my eyes were more on the perks than the job description; perks first, job description next!!).

I submitted my application for numerous internships but to no avail. Then I made slight tweaks in my application and submitted it. But I waited.. waited... and waited......

Finally, a few days later, Internshala sent me a message that a company is interested in my application for a content writing internship. I thought I was selected already, but no. It seems like they want to test me out. Ok, Challenge Accepted!!!

The task was this: write a 500-word article about plumbing, including the keywords mentioned, with a website as a reference.

I'm like, 'Do I look like a plumber to you!!??'

So I started writing and sent the sample. The next day, I got another message: Your piece passed Copyscape (a Plagiarism checker). If you are willing to write at least 1500 words every day, you will be paid 7 per 100 words.

I did the math, and it seemed profitable. So I gave them the yes, and started working as a Content Writing Intern. Recently, I wrote articles that were worth 2000 in total. I was paid for that......

My first salary!!! 🤩🤩🥳🥳🥳

Meet, Zoom and Online Classes

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Sun, 02 May 2021 12:22:00 +0000

When the lockdown was announced a year and a half ago (Yeah, it has been that long), I thought we would be back soon. But that never was to be..... However, one thing did happen.... Google Meet, Zoom and Office.

When I came back from IIT, we were initially given a two-week break, as we thought the crisis would be contained (Even that didn't happen). After that, the Institute sent circulars advising the professors (or profs as the students call them) to start "online" classes. I dreaded that the profs would be sending some reading material, ask us to read it and write our exams (or assignments as they turned out to be). But I never thought a new component would enter my academic life.... Google Meet and Zoom.

In the first week of April, when the classes resumed, profs started sending us these Meet links and were told to login using the institute email id given to us. I attended my first online class with my video on, sitting from the dining table and the WiFi modem near the TV set. When I went in, I was expecting to see a few faces. But all I saw was letters: M, N, A, D..... Not one person's face!!!

This was the meeting screen I stared at in most classes

Only the profs kept their webcam on, mainly because the internet connection in IIT is far greater than the ones we have at home.

Some profs didn't even take classes.... They just sent recorded lectures and audio recordings and told us to watch recordings of classes they had taken in the past on YouTube.

The introduction to Zoom was even more dramatic. Our course instructor for Excel was teaching us through Meet. But the lag of the screen sharing annoyed him, and he said:

"Let's switch to Zoom. Google Meet doesn't seem to work".

I was already having trouble understanding how Meet works, and now he's telling me to switch to another platform??!! Aaarrrggghh!!! But I had to change my opinion. Zoom was smoother than Meet, and I got to know about a new meeting platform.

Then there was the online exam. Thankfully, online exams were conducted only for the Excel course; all others were reduced to assignments to be sent over email. Thus the second semester ended with a thud.

Come the third sem, and the situation got even worse. All profs got a hang of how Meet and Zoom work and were starting to take live classes. Now even the profs started turning their webcams off, possibly because the students themselves had turned it off. Classes on Meet and Zoom, term papers in Word, presentations in PowerPoint became the norm...

In the third sem, I had a course on International Relations, and the webcam had to be turned on for the viva. When my turn came, I turned the webcam on. Two minutes into the viva, I saw the message, " You lost your connection. Trying to reconnect".

Are you for real, right now??!!!

Later the connection came back, and the prof asked me to turn the webcam off so that I won't get cut off again.

Come the fourth sem, and still, nothing changed. The only things that have changed are how I dress for class, where I sit for class, and where and how I attend classes. I learned two sets of things: bandwidth, share screen, breakout rooms and that what I learned about computer manners in class 1 and 2 are true: spending too much time in front of the computer is not good and causes backache and red eyes!!!!!

The Return Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 03:32:00 +0000

(Before you read this piece, I strongly urge you to read The Journey Begins.... and The Garden and the Horse because they provide the background for this story)

After two days in Coonoor and Ooty, it was time to go home......

We got up in the morning, went through the gruelling experience of brushing and bathing (Yes, they were becoming gruelling there) and had our breakfast. My uncle was keeping track of the train in which we had to go back, and the site said at 8 am that the train, which was coming from Assam and we would board it from Coimbatore at 11am, was delayed by over 5 hours. Our initial plan was to get up early and leave. Now that the train was delayed, we thought it was okay if we started off late. Our driver also suggested the same. After all, who wants to rush through the 14 hairpin bends we had to go through when going to Coonoor??

So we leave our housing for the trip at around 9 am on the advice of our driver, who had gone on this route many times and started going back to the Coimbatore Railway Station. 14 hairpin bends and 2-3 mountain descents later, we were back on the straight road.

Then we thought, why not visit the college my mother studied in? Anyway, there were 4 hours left. So we took a short detour and went to the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore, from where my mother graduated almost 2.5 decades ago. We made her stand in front of the gate and took few pics. Then, we were back on track for our return.

Then, a crisis situation happened. Somehow the train made up time faster than expected, and it was to reach Coimbatore railway station in under 3 hours. Our driver constantly assured us that we would make it on time, but we could feel that he might be feeling guilty for suggesting us to start late.

We had to take diversions, which further added to the time crunch. Luckily we got to the railway station on time. We gave our driver a small gift, rushed to the platform and bought some food to eat on the train. I thought during this pandemic, no one would risk travelling on a train.

But how wrong I was!!!! When the train came and was slowing down, not one coach was empty!! All were full!!! In my mind, I was like, "This is the last thing I want in this situation, but it is what it is", and we went in.

The majority of the passengers were migrant workers. The ticket collector told us that almost all of them would leave after reaching Ernakulam. Truly enough, we were free after Ernakulam.

My uncle's family got off at Kayamkulam, and by the time we reached Kollam, it was nearly 10pm. After waiting for a while, we caught a bus and reached the main junction. However, our house was further away, so we decided to catch an auto-rickshaw. My father talked to the driver and told us the ride would cause Rs 300. Given that it was late in the night, we knew rides would get expensive. So we rode off and reached home soon. We paid the driver Rs 300, and he went his way.

Thirty minutes later, we heard a honk at our gate and saw that it was the same auto driver who left us. We thought we had given him some fake currency notes, and he had come to tell us about it. But no. He came to return Rs 210 to us from the ride.

We asked him, "Wasn't the ride for 300?". He said, " The ride was only for 90. You paid me way extra!!".

(In Malayalam, 90 is "Thonnooru", and 300 is "Munnooru". So confusion was bound to happen, especially when you are half asleep).

He gave us the extra back and went his way. We chatted for a while and went to sleep.

The trip to Ooty was a much needed inner-cleansing experience. Now that it is over, I have to once again stare at the black Google Meet screen and occasionally hear the words, " Am I audible? ".

The Garden and the Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 05:05:00 +0000

(Best read after reading The Journey Begins)

Day 2 of the trip..... Waking up from a chilly night is really difficult. It's like asking me to get off the bed when the AC is on... Real difficult... But I had to get up... Brushed and bathed... Bathing was a different story. The lodging had bathrooms with double valve taps: Hot and Cold, and I didn't know how to use them. Turned on the hot one, turned on the cold, and it was neutral water. Upon pouring it down, I realised neutral water was the same as cold water and bathing in cold water in Coonoor is suicide. Came out of the bathroom desperately trying to hide my chattering teeth.

Came breakfast, ate and off we went...... First to the Rose Garden. I thought I'll see a host of roses, but mostly I saw just bushes. Seems like the season is in May, and so is the Flower show. But we still got to see a lot of other flowers in the Garden. Got to click a few of the roses there (can't remember any of their names. They had specific names... I'll just call them Roses)

An hour later, back in the car and off we went.....

Sometime later, we saw many people lending horses, and we thought we'll ride them. I was dead scared of the horses. The owners who controlled the horse were to come with us. Seeing that I was really tall, they made me sit on a single horse. My father and younger cousin sat on another horse while my sister and elder cousin sat on another horse.

The owner of the horse I was riding asked me, " Have you rode a horse before?". I said, "No". I already knew this was not going to go right. He said, " Now u will learn how to ride a horse".... OMG!!!!! Hands shaking, leg shivering... Everything happening...

He said, " Just pull the rope to the direction you want the horse to go. If you want it to go left, pull the rope to the left; if you want it to go right, pull the rope to the right ". I said Okay but my mind voice was like, "Why did I even think of getting on this horse???".

So the owner slightly let go of the horse. I think the horse was either a former or aspiring racehorse, for it started charging like anything. My initial and only response in times like these is to scream, but now that I am surrounded by people and am 20 YEARS OLD, I couldn't scream. But I was holding on to dear life!!!!!

Moreover, the owner started nudging the horse to make it move faster. I still don't know how I held on to the horse. When I pulled the horse to the left, it started turning the other way. I thought I was doing it wrong. Can't let anything go wrong at this time... To say that I was scared is a gross understatement.

When all three horses reached the hilltop, we took a photo. You know when you want to smile but can't smile the way you want but smile anyway? I smiled like that for the photo. After that, we rode the horses back, and all of us started dismounting.

After a while, I saw the photo and was really angry at the horse. The horse I rode was literally grinning ( yes, you read that right) in the photo. I think the horse let out all anger it accumulated from riding day in and day out on me..... That might have been a smile of revenge!!!

The Journey begins.....

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 06:14:00 +0000

Some time off the hectic schedule was always needed for us. Me sitting in front of the laptop day in and day out, my Dad working, my mom under rest post-surgery with nothing much to do, and my sister going through the same ordeal as I was..... We needed something different; something had to change.....

That's when my maternal uncle asked us if we wanted to come on a family trip to Coonoor and Ooty with his family, to which we said YES, but later became concerned abt my mother; whether she'll be able to climb up the stairs and steep surfaces. But she wanted to come anyway, and all four of us went on the trip.

We got on from Kollam, and my uncle's family got on from Kayamkulam. My uncle has a two-year-old younger son, and his antics kept us engaged till we reached Coimbatore. Stayed there for a night, and the next day, our journey began.......

We first went to Dolphin's Nose and Lamb Rock viewpoints, which were high off the ground. Was scared like anything to look down from the top. My mom walked better than I thought she would during the trip. Went through tea gardens and eventually reached a restaurant somewhere high up the hills. It was really starting to get cold, and I had a jacket on. But still..... I ate some of the best food I could find anywhere at any restaurant there and continued further on our trip.....

Then we went to Sim's Park (Not sure why it's called SIMS Park, but anyway......). Went there, played for some time (Only Kids, not adults like me). The most painful part was when me, my sister, dad and my cousin (uncle's elder son) went on a pedal boat. Yes, u guessed it right... I had to pedal the boat along with my dad around a lake for roughly ten minutes. I am a very lean guy with weak legs, legs that were not meant to pedal boats. Anyway, all four of us got on our life jackets, sat on the boat and me and my father started pedalling. The route was to go around a circular pond, going under one end of the bridge, cutting across the pond and back through the other end. By the time we reached the one end of the bridge, we saw many fishes under the bridge. But the fishes were not of concern, the pain in both our knees were. By the time we got to one end of the bridge, my father had given up on the effort. He started panting..... I said, 'If we are to go back, we have to pedal this thing. Maybe we'll rotate who pedals the boat; I'll pedal till the end of the bridge, you take over from there till we are halfway across the pond, and I'll pedal the rest of the way. I can't say this worked, but we reached somehow. The only thing both me and my father realized was that both of us had to start exercising to strengthen our legs as soon as we get to Thiruvananthapuram.

As it was evening, we decided to get to our lodging. It was really starting to get cold, so cold that I started chattering with my teeth despite having the jacket on. We reached a small cottage-like building, and it was getting dark.... And Cold, REALLY, REALLY COLD!!!!! So cold that I could not walk without having slippers or shoes. Dinner time at the table and food was ordered well ahead of time, and it was smoking hot when served... YUM!!!! 😘😘

The next big surprise was at bedtime. The sheets, despite being really thick, was still ice cold. Moreover, I thought the cottage had a room heater, but it didn't... We had to sleep in the cold....🥶🥶🥶

My cousin (uncle's elder son) and I were to sleep in one bed while my sister slept in another. Seeing that both of us cannot sleep in this cold, I told him to keep the bed over the body but not sleep off to heat the bedsheet up with our bodies. Then my father, who was next door, suggested covering our heads with the sheets and breathing hard...... 8th Std- Science- Mode- Daddy- during- Bedtime rocks!!!!!

We then slept off, thinking about the day and for the adventures waiting for the next day........

A Semester of All-Round Work

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 07:27:00 +0000

(This is a follow-up story of A Mom-less Home)

With the semester starting (started on February 1, to be exact), my mind was planning on how to get the household chores and the academic work together. It's going to be one heck of a job to pull them together... But u got to do what u got to do... Ain't nothing changed, here we go.....

U see, the timetable in IIT Madras is really different from what I know about the other colleges. Other colleges have a 9-4 timetable with classes every hour and a lunch break. In IIT, it's different. Our timetable is 8-6 (almost like training us for the boring 9-5 jobs atleast a few of us will enter). But we don't have classes from 8-6. Our timetable has slots, and each subject is assigned a slot, and classes only take place in that slot. Say Indian Literature is assigned slot A-it means Indian Literature classes take place only when slot A is there.

Moreover, not all days have all the slots, and we have to learn only 6 subjects (ONLY?!!). That means our timetable is highly irregular-somedays classes start at 8 and ends by 12, somedays we have classes only twice or thrice, somedays almost all classes cramped together. This is the condition I have to work in, to do household chores and study at the same time.

On days that have an 8 or 9am class, my day starts at 6. Getting the water ready for drinking, washing the clothes, hanging them to dry, getting the rice ready-all in under 2 hours. If the classes start before 10 am, I make the breakfast myself-basically dosa with podi (gram powder mixed in oil). Else I have my father buy me the breakfast-chapathi with tomato curry. Classes go on till 12 in the afternoon mostly, and I get the curries from the neighbouring grandma. I eat it and wash the dishes by 12:45 to get ready for the 1pm class or go to sleep before a possible 2/3 pm class, provided no class at 1 (I don't like to be drowsy in any class). After the classes are over, I have to study and do assignments before 7pm, when I usually play badminton. However, if the workload is a bit high, game skipped for the day.

After the game, I make my dinner, which is basically reheated lunch, eat it, finish the dishes- this varies according to when I come back from my game- read a book and go to sleep by 11:30 pm.

My mother has offered to come back sometime in the end of March. There is not much she can do around the house; she is still under recovery. Till the time she is okay.....

(PC: Google Images)
I can tell you, I am not that pumped abt the current situation.

A Mother Tongue Hiccup

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 05:33:00 +0000

For someone coming from one language-speaking community and living in one that speaks another, many of u reading this can relate to the plight I am going through. We are most likely to be caught between the home and host languages. In my case, it was Malayalam and Tamil.

When I was in Trichy, I was caught between the Malayalam spoken at home, the Tamil spoken outside, and the English spoken at school (Yeah the last part was of no consequence).

My mother always tells this with a story of me in playschool. The word for water in Malayalam is 'Vellam'. So whenever I wanted water at home, I would say 'Vellam'. However, the same Vellam in Tamil means Jaggery!!! And my mom said that my Preschool teacher was initially confused, for she would have wondered, why does he need Jaggery but doing the action for drinking? (The actions kids do to clearly convey what they are trying to say.. Yeah that's the one). So my mom had to tell my preschool teacher that whenever I said Vellam, I meant water (called Thanni in Tamil) and not jaggery!

My formal introduction to Malayalam was in class 3 when I was sent to the Malayalam classes conducted by the Kerala Samajam ( the Malayalee Association ). Found out that there were only three of us in the Beginner class. Studied there for two years and got a sufficient hold of the language. But my knowledge of the language was not what it should be for my age. Little did I realize that it was to get worse.....

When I joined class 7 in Kerala, I was equipped with the knowledge of a first-grader in Malayalam when all my classmates wrote poems in Malayalam. The first question my Malayalam teacher asked me was "Do u need a separate paper for the exams?". My father had strictly opposed such proposals right way. I had to go through this ordeal till class 10 ( Not to forget the devil and the deep blue sea decision- to choose between Hindi and Malayalam as the second language for classes 9 and 10). Class 10 Board Exam happened, Malayalam exam happened, and good grade happened... At that point, I was like..

This is comedian Vadivelu, and the caption translates to Thank God! Now I can be in peace!

After that, I discarded Malayalam from my academic life and felt that I would never need Malayalam beyond a specific level. Later I realized that not knowing my own mother tongue would come to haunt me someday. So I started reading Malayalam newspapers for a start. Now I am reading a book on India's Metro Man E Sridharan written in Malayalam. It's tough, but I'll get used to it.

So... Enikkayi Prarthikkuka!! (Please Pray for Me in Malayalam)

A Mom-less Home

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 08:59:00 +0000

It has been nearly a month (and counting) since my mother underwent surgery. U know that "cliched" dialogue mothers give "Start working around the house so u will know to do things when I am not here?". Well, I did learn a few of the things: "patiently" cleaning a sink full of utensils and others. Thankfully my mom underwent her surgery towards the end of my semester, which means no classes and only assignments for evaluation. Thank God!!! If it was otherwise, then I am done for!

Anyways, the first day after my mom left for the hospital, I did the cooking for all three meals- breakfast, lunch and dinner... But I realized that the associated tasks eat into my assignment time ( I would say this is mostly bcoz of my late waking up; Though I set the alarm for 7am, I switch off the alarm and sleep till 7:30... Lazy Me? Yes, Yes, Yes!!!).

That was when our neighbours came to know about the situation at home and offered to help me out... In COOKING (What did u expect? That they will come and do everything for me? U got to be kidding me..)

This was (and still is) the plan of action of running the household without mom: I learnt how to make the rice for all three of us: me, my Achan, and Grandpa and the neighbours would give all three of us the curries. We'll use them, wash the utensils they gave the curries in and give them back. Each of us does their cloth washing in the morning, and I do the rest of the household work in the afternoon and evening.

But then, problems start to pop up: My Grandpa didn't like the curries, and my dad was forced to buy lunch for himself and Grandpa. When dad goes out to buy the lunch (called "meals" in our place), it is way more than what two people could eat (I know, u are thinking someone's left out. Yep, that's me. I don't want to eat a three-course cooked outside for three months-hopefully. I at least need the rice prepared at home. That's how it came down to two). Worst, for the first few days, there was a huge amount of waste generated which had to be simply thrown away. Now, that's the last thing I want!!

How to deal with this thing now? I told dad, "Buy the lunch, including the curries only for yourself and Grandpa. I'll cook the rice for myself, and the neighbouring grandma has offered to cook the curry for me. Don't, and I mean DO NOT buy anything for me unless I tell you I want to".

Next up washing the clothes. I wash mine every day, even if there us just one ( it does increase to 6-7 when I go out to play.. That's how sweaty I am!). But getting my father to wash his clothes after it was done by mom for years was difficult. The clothes are in ur room (Yes, we put all the clothes in one place and segregate them later) and u slept off, I am busy, I am reading the newspaper- the many excuses. Now, he does it by himself, no hassle and tussle....

In the afternoon, I eat early, wash the dishes and go to sleep. As soon as I close my eyes...... DEIIIIIII.... And I see a million-dollar smile.... Of my DAD!!! He brought lunch for him and Grandpa. Now, what am I supposed to do? Serve it!! Again, Million-dollar smile..... I go, serve it, and launch myself to bed.

But I had to find time for my own activities. From 10-12 in the morning, after preparing the rice, it was assignment time. After lunch and a short nap, I would do some exercise. After finishing the pending work, both academic and household in the evening, I will go to play at 7pm, return by 9 and finish the rest of the work. Work-play balance sorted out.

After nearly a month of mom-lessness, I realized something: If I don't have any other work like I have now and learn a bit of cooking, I can run the household like mom. The only difference is the dishes won't taste like that of mom's.

However, to slightly change a famous quote, u never know the value of ur mom until the home becomes mom-less. Learn the craft, and u won't miss ur mom....

Steve Harvey

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 06:16:00 +0000

The lockdown, which was to be a two-week mid semester vacation (This is what I initially thought it was going to be) ended up becoming more than half a year and counting.....

It was in the middle of the second semester that I had to come back home from IIT. Now the new "online" classes (They have now gone from "online" classes to online classes, I think u get the difference. No?? Look again!!).

I would kill my time in between classes (Not during classes, Come On!!! Don't judge me so quickly) by watching videos on YouTube.

Remember that thing YouTube does called "Recommended Videos", where they send videos similar to the ones u watch? It was one such YouTube recommendation that brought me to the book I just finished reading.....

The video was of a game show called Family Feud. Checked it out.. It was a bit out of my league, but the host was downright hilarious. His name..... Steve Harvey...

Yep!! This Him!!! You would have already seen him

What I really liked about this man was that he doesn't let his past decide his future, something I have been trying to do for years now. Dropped out of college to do standup comedy, struggled badly, had two broken marriages but now has 3-4 shows, a radio show, is a host....... Real multifaceted.

After Family Feud, YouTube to the rescue!!!! Was recommended a collection of videos called Ask Steve... Boy, lemme tell u something ( I think I am beginning to sound just like him) those r some of the most hilarious clips on YouTube. The questions he is asked and the way he responds to them, 🤣🤣🤣🤣...... I highly recommend you should check them out....

Then I came to know that he has written few self-help books, thought of giving one a try.... That's how I got hold of his book Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success...

It took me a while to get through, but I gotta be honest with you.... This book was an eye opener for me. The book has sections where he reflects his life, and wants us to reflect on ours and come up with a growth plan. The most interesting part of the book is his Vision Board. To cut the story short, a Vision Board is where you write all your dreams on, place it somewhere you would always see it. This is so that u don't write your dreams and forget about it, but is constantly reminded of it. Only if u have the spark to work, will u work!!! Steve knows it, and wants you to do it....

The book points out to many of the situations we find ourselves, and how we are most likely to respond to them. I don't want to give more spoilers... Give it a read, you'll know what I am talking about.....

And that's Act like a Success, Think like a Success from the one and only Steeeeve Haaarvey!!!!! (Typed as told in Celebrity Family Feud).

Nandri!!! Namaskaram!!! ( How long will I write and you'll see Auf Wiedersehen at the end? So, time for a change!!!)

How I fell for Rodo

noreply@blogger.com (Neeraj B R) — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 04:29:00 +0000

The place where I study now, IIT Madras is located in the middle of a National Park. So we hostellers aren't permitted to use motor vehicles ( It's not of much use anyway, considering the fact that I don't have a motorbike despite having a driving license. Also, the experience at the driving school was gut-wrenching). So all hostelers had the option to walk or ride a bicycle. Given the vast campus (around 660 acres), walking for a lean person like me is out of the question. Also, it had been a long time since I rode a bicycle, so I decided: Get a Bicycle!!!

Every year for freshers who don't have a bicycle, there is a bicycle sale at the Sangam grounds inside the campus, where over a thousand cycles are for sale. Me and my father went there and a salesman showed us a Red colour XYZ bike.( I don't want to hurt the sentiments of the lovers of the particular brand, it was a well-reputed one, and it took me a while to come to terms that this bicycle was made by this brand). Took it for a test ride. It screeched like a slowing Railway engine!!!! Immeditate Rejection. Went to the next bike, rejected, next one, rejected. I could tell by the look on the salesman's face " Is he going to pick something today?"

After a series of rejection, I saw someone take a Black and Fluorescent Yellow cycle, contrasting like in neon. Liked the colour combo. Asked the salesman whether he had a bicycle like that. Showed me one, black with bright yellow. Took it for a ride. Rides like heaven!! Fell for it...

My father immediately purchased it, registered it with the police ( In IIT Madras, bicycles are the equivalent of motor vehicles for students, and therefore for the police) and thus began our story together.

Seeing that in an atmosphere like IIT Madras, which is very huge to be left alone and left behind, it is advisable to always find that one person or group of people who just loves you and be with you always. This Cosmic Jus Bike 2.0 cycle turned out to be exactly that for me.

It's not right to keep calling someone as 'someone' so I decided to give my cycle a name: Rodo (Felt nice with the name, so kept it). I try to take extra care that Rodo doesn't get damaged at any cost. All proper care to be provided ( Ok, I know some of you might be thinking I'm taking this a bit too far. But you have to take care of your best friend, no matter what the costs are, right?). Sent him for service the Second Saturday of every month. I got to tell you something, after that service, Rodo looked just like he came out of the factory.

There were times when I was a bit rough with Rodo. Once the back wheel was screeching while riding. Despite repeated kicks, the screeching persisted. Took it to the Service Centre and was told it's due to a collision with something 'quite hard' ( Some of you might be thinking it's my kicking, but I got news for you.) The Service Representative told me it could be due to a collision with another cycle. I haven't hit any. Possibly someone hit mine while it was parked. Anyway, got it fixed and Rodo was good as new.

One time I felt that the handle was more loose than it should be. While riding the handle literally came out of the socket of the cycle!! Thankfully I jumped from the cycle before it went crashing. Out of anger, I kept kicking it mercilessly. But then this is my only cycle. Took him to the Dealer's Showroom outside the campus and got it fixed. All this happened in the first semester of college. After that, two semesters later, no problems at all. Like how Sachin Tendulkar said, you have to take good care of your kit and the kit will definitely take good care of you.

When there emerged a situation where we were asked to leave the campus ASAP as a precautionary measure before the pandemic, I remember parking Rodo in the third spot of the first parking space of the Brahmaputra hostel where I was. I remember telling Rodo, 'See you in two weeks time' because the lockdown was initially for a two week period. But six months later, I keep thinking of Rodo and the good times we had together......

(P.S. You should look after your ride for all your rides to feel like heaven. But, make sure your Ride IN Heaven doesn't become someone else's Ride TO Heaven....)

Brahmaputra and Me

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 16:44:00 +0000

As the Ananthapuri Express left Kerala and entered Tamil Nadu, it was a moment of joy and nostalgia for the 18-year-old me. On 23rd July 2019, I was to join the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Madras. ( I think that's the date, I can't remember it..... Come On, it's been one year since that took place!!!!). As the pastures and windmills of Nagercoil went past me, the good old days in Trichy came rushing to my memory when the first thing we were eager to know was the last day of the Annual exam, so that we could book our tickets to Kerala. That routine went on for several years until in 2013 all got derailed and I ended up permanently in Kerala.

When we reached Chennai and had a day more to the orientation, my father and I decided to get everything done before we leave for IIT : go to the movie, eat outside, buy some stuff for hostel etc.

Hostel. Was told to be Cauvery when it was changed to Brahmaputra at the last minute. I didn't know either of them, so didn't make a difference.Came to know that my roommate was also from the same department( Thank God! ) and from Thiruvananthapuram ( O my God Thank You!!!). Name? Akash.....

That was when it dawned upon me that I'll now have to take care of everything, no one to help or rely upon. On top of that, it has to be done along with Studies!!!! How do I do it? First day difficult second day okay, after a week better and after a few weeks way better than it started off.

For someone who hasn't used a washing machine in his life, to use a washing machine everyday was a novelty( and funny too) . I think I was my floor's washing machine's most regular customer, dropping in once or even twice a day. Drying them was hard. Monkeys ( They are the kings of the IIT Jungle) like jumping on the ropes we hang the clothes on, sending them straight to the muddy floor. Ugh!!

Next stop: Mess food. Thank God I have eaten Tamil Nadu Food, so I am used to it though it was in the distant past. Choose a non-veg mess and lo and behold! Kerala Style food served along with other variants! What more can you ask for?

Topping it off was that there is a Multicuisine restaurant to go to on Saturdays ( I can't be eating mess food all semester long, I'm not that innocent. Also who doesn't like change?). Chicken dishes with either Chappathis or Kerala Parottas my staple( though Parottas were occasional), along with Lime Juice. Saturday afternoon and night ummmmaaaa!!!!!

And I forgot to introduce a companion I bought: Rodo, my Cosmic bicycle. Took him everywhere inside the campus, got him serviced every month( maybe that proved helpful in the present scenario).

Used to go to the Students Activities Centre to play badminton, though it's difficult to actually play there..... It's 4 courts for 50 people... How will u ever get a chance??? And these courts can be used only for 30 minutes before the Institute players start entering.... Aaargh!!!!

For quick bites, straight to the Himalaya Food Court. 5 food stalls, loads of food, eating alone.... What more to ask? Heaven!!! And to buy essentials, straight to Prime Mart....

The Best part: Open Air Theatre (almost) every Saturday night, new movies, munching popcorn, screaming my throat out... Memories to cherish, especially during this time......

Your hostel changes u as a person, both from within and otherwise. This is my hostel story, What's yours???

My Thug Life moment

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 07:50:00 +0000

In the 2019 CBSE Board Examinations, I topped the Thiruvananthapuram district and came second in the Thiruvananthapuram region( also called the Kerala region) with 99%.

Just days after the results, I had to write an entrance exam ( I wasn't ready to go to the DU, I really wasn't and still am!). My friends who had come to write the exam congratulated me and I congratulated them for their performances.

Now comes the heroine of the story: The mom of Rashmika ( I don't know the girl's name, so let's assume her name is Rashmika). I saw this lady bragging about her daughter's results to everyone she met, though Rashmika was not very enthusiastic like her.

Soon the duo came to me. Rashmika's mom( Let's say her name is Sheena Aunty) introduced her daughter to me and said " This is my daughter Rashmika." She scored 95% in the Science Stream at the XYZ School( I don't wish to reveal the name of the school, bcoz I have not heard of it).

I said "Congratulations".

"She worked day and night to achieve this".

"Yes, aunty. 95% in the Science stream is a really big deal".

"She wrote an entrance exam yesterday, is writing the one today and also appearing for a medical entrance exam tomorrow".

My mind went:

At that point, perhaps forebodingly Rashmika left the scene but Sheena Aunty was still talking to me.

Aunty said, " But I am very disappointed".

I asked " Why Aunty? Aren't you happy with 95%?".

"I am happy with 95%. But after seeing all her hardwork I really expected to see her foto in the newspaper with a significant rank. But I saw a foto of a boy and two girls........

( For those of you who might have guessed by now, that boy is me...)

My mind voice at that time was like " In the words of Steve Harvey, this fitting to be good!!!".

I said, "Yes. I saw that too. 99%!! Great score!!"

Sheena Aunty was like " What you mean "great score"? No one can possibly score 99%. I am sure he is " a fraud or CBSE didn't come to know of his cheating". ( These were her exact words, not something I made up as an exaggeration. Take it or leave it)

I was like.....

But I kept my cool. Two thoughts crossed my mind at that point of time:

1. After all, I had done, after everything I had sacrificed, it ends in a "fraud".

2. Sheena Aunty for some reason doesn't see the news. There were 2 girls who had topped the State with 99.2% ( Just ONE mark difference from mine, Why, WHY????) and the AIR-1 scored 99.8%. If she had read about them, I don't know what she would have called them. Exam-Fixers? IDK.

Back to the story, the climax to be precise;

Sheena Aunty, with the urge to become superior to everyone she meets, asked me the Million Dollar question: How much did you score in the exams?

"99%", I said.

"In which subject?"

" I got an overall of 99% in the exams."

That's when it hit her a bit, She was hysterical about the chances of me being the boy whom she just called a fraud.

She asked her final question," Are you.....?"

"Aunty, didn't you just mention about a fraud? It is ME....!!!!"

I got to tell you her face was much worse than this......

As she tried to flee I said, " Aunty, convey my best wishes to Rashmika for her entrance exam tomorrow."

At that point, I was like...........

So,

Auf Wiedersehen!

Bis bald!

Tschüss!!

(These are Sign-off words in German, BTW)

HSEE: High School Expertise Exam

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 07:37:00 +0000

(Disclaimer: This isn't the original full form of HSEE. It's Humanities and Social Sciences Entrance Examination!!)

Want to make it to the IIT after but not from a Science background or not interested in writing JEE after seeing Kota Factory ( See it on Youtube to get an experience of how the JEE life in Kota is..)?

Fret not, for you can still make to the prestigious IIT Madras if you have an appetite for Social Sciences( or just want to get the IITian tag somehow) by writing the HSEE. Check out the information brochure for HSEE.

Wondering how to crack HSEE? Don't worry bcoz you are hearing from me, who is currently studying in IIT Madras in the same course after cracking the same exam in this HSEE blog post. Here are some of my personal tips and tricks to better your chances of making into the Dept of Humanities and Social Sciences at IITM( as IIT Madras is lovingly called). Take it or Leave it.....

1. Never be prejudiced

"Oh, dear! It's a Humanities/Social Science exam. I, being a Science/Commerce student don't stand a chance". NO, NEVER. Humanities students indeed have the upper hand over the others in this regard, but even Science and Commerce students do crack it. In fact, there is a growing "concern" in the department that it would be overflowing with students from a non-Humanities background in the foreseeable future. So, it's anybody's game, just that the Humanities students have a headstart over the others.

2.Stick to the NCERTs

Every question in the exam is found or related to something mentioned in the NCERT (apart from QA and English, of course. No one will be asking you for the proof of an isosceles triangle, that's for sure).

I would personally recommend the following pattern of study for the students from differing backgrounds, but you have to ultimately decide which is most suitable for you:

Humanities Students: Since you have an idea about the basic themes of social sciences, you could go backwards, i.e. from class 12 to class 6.
Non-Humanities students: Since you have a higher chance of having forgotten everything social science in the two excruciating years in Science or Commerce, you could start from scratch( i.e Class 6 to 12).

3.Practice Short Cut Math

Just bcoz you aced maths in school doesn't necessarily guarantee victory in the QA section. The questions you are most likely to face there are 5-6 marks in the school standards, but asked only for 1-2 marks.

Like your teacher at school always says, " Write the answer according to the marks". Here, it is "Find the most appropriate( shortest) method to solve the questions." Bcoz the marks are awarded for the final answers, not the length of your method.

4. Read English Newspapers

A piece of cliched advice from IAS and also from ex-HSEE aspirants!! But reading the newspaper regularly helps in your vocabulary and most importantly your essay paper, which would help create a good impression about you to the evaluator. You can't be Shashi Tharoor overnight, but if you can even become 1% like him, you have come a long way to score in the English section.

Recommended Books

i) History- Class 6-12

ii) Economics- Class 11-12

iii) Last 3 chapter of Biology Class 12 ( The sections dealing with the environment)+ Environment-related Conventions and treaties( Easily available on the internet)

iv) Sociology- Class 11-12

v) Exploring Craft Tradition of India ( Class 11-12 combined)

vi) Introduction to Indian Art Part 1 (Class 11)

(All NCERT books are available online).

All the Best and hope to see some of you in IIT!!

PS: Do stay updated with the latest information and changes in HSEE from their website. Sometimes the details mentioned here could be outdated. Use some reference books if you feel u don't know what to study)

Exams? They don't bother me!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 05:30:00 +0000

After seeing this title, you might have thought that I am acting a bit haughty. I don't blame you for your inference, but I gave this blog this title for a specific reason; this is exactly what I told my friends when they asked me in classes 10 and 12 "Aren't you worried about the board exams?". Why I was confident( or overconfident) as some of you might think, here's what I used to do:

Rule 1: Never keep anything pending for the last minute

I am sure you might have heard this for the umpteenth time from the umpteenth person, but it works. Getting your work done as quickly as possible allows you to relax and function efficiently. Keeping your work pending till the eleventh hour would put you in stress, reduces your creativity and most importantly frustrates you, you start panicking and you would not be able to produce your desired results.

Never ever think of doing this

Rule 2: Study daily

Another rule heard for the umpteenth time! But it reduces your burden in the end. If you prefer chilling more than studying and that too studying just before the exams would put great pressure and frustration on you and you are most likely to flunk the exam big time. True Story people, many of my classmates never did this and had to repent in the end for their low marks( Not trying to scare you, but yeah it is the truth)

You're on your way to becoming like them

Rule 3: Practice your math daily

All of us have to deal with some form of math in their school life. Even if you picked up Humanities with the hope of fleeing from math, you have to do it, because the popular misconception is that Humanities is the easiest stream bcoz there ain't math.( Many of my friends did this. Their mind voice after doing so was something like this) :

Rule 4: Make maximum use of every single Mock exam

Almost all of us are like him when it comes to studies.

He saves his energy for the final 50m and then dashes towards glory, but if you try to save yours till the Board exam, you are most likely to end up with low marks and a lot of criticisms( Now don't give me that There-is-life-beyond-marks and Marks-don't-decide-my-life cliche, not that I am a mark-aholic, but it's how things are stacked up). All the exams that you write at school are like the heats of the Olympics and the Board exams are like the finals. But sometimes due to "unfavourable circumstances" the finals have to be cancelled and the awards given according to the performance in the heats. In 2020 CBSE decided to evaluate students based on their performance in the exams conducted. Think of what would have happened if they decided to evaluate you on the basis of your Mock Exams at school; everyone who thought of dashing in the finals be like:

(This is comedian Vadivelu, who is saying Sothikathinga da Ennaya! It literally means "Don't emotionally harass me!!")

Rule 5: Prepare yourself for the conditions

My school had its lunch break at 11:30 am and the Board Exams start at 10:30 am, that means after one hour, my stomach starts grumbling like a gossipy neighbour. To quote a Science friend of mine, Grumbling Stomach implies Mind confusion which implies Stupid Answers in Board Exams. So mentally and physically prepare yourself for the conditions you write the exam in. Select a practice day for a subject every week and write the exam in the 10:30-1:30 time frame. At first, it will be tiring, but it pays off in the end.

In the end, I just have one thing to say: All the Best for your Exams!!! Viel Glück für Ihre Prüfungen!( I can speak a bit of German, BTW)

The Lone Wolf v/s The Wolf Pack

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 04:28:00 +0000

Embrace your decisions and enjoy them

2017 May. Cleared the Class 10 Board Examinations with A+ in all subjects. For every Indian student, clearing the class 10 board exams is the culmination of the years-old question constantly thrown at us," What do you want to do in Class 11 and 12?", " Take Science or Commerce". But I gave my parents, teachers and in fact every single person who knew me( though I didn't know all of them) the biggest shock of their lives, when I said, " I want Humanities with Maths"!!!!

What????? Humanities? with Maths? Are you kidding me? Where do you think Humanities is offered with Maths? Humanities is for those low-mark students, not for someone like you who has scored A+, you shouldn't take Humanities if you want to succeed in life.....

Ah!!!! The same old ruckus. Everyone would have an opinion about my life and won't let me have my way!

But it is not something that is new to most of you reading this. I am sure at some point in your life, you too would have taken tough decisions which would have sent shockwaves across your social circles, bombarded with opinions to change the decision and what not.

When it's one or two people with opinions, it's manageable to a certain extent. But when it's a whole bunch of people, people round the corner, even those whom you might not have seen in your entire life, with opinions, you tend to doubt your decision. Even I did. At one point, I was thinking of how to convince myself that I took the right decision about my choice for higher studies.

But fret not. There is a way to find out whether you have taken the right decision. Ask yourself, " Am I up for this?", "Will I enjoy my time doing this?".

The whole key to the process is to determine how much satisfaction You get from your choices. Jeremy Bentham, a famous philosopher and proponent of utilitarianism, once said that every action's worth is determined by the amount of satisfaction it provides to the maximum people.

On a more individual scale, it could be changed into: The worth of every action of yours is determined by the amount of satisfaction you get, and if possible but not necessary, to the others.

I always prefer going out to the movies alone and enjoying by myself, without company. Everyone keeps asking me, Why are you like this?

Why am I like this? It's bcoz I enjoy being like this. Your actions should be a source of enjoyment primarily to you, not to others.

Now I am studying in IIT Madras. Their cultural fest, Saarang is the largest student-run cultural fest in India. They hosted numerous shows from professionals around the world. But being from a middle-class Indian family, I wasn't exposed to Western Music early and am almost distasteful of it now( Not that it is bad, but I don't like it for some reason).

Everyone pays Rs.2000 in the semester fee which has to be exclusively utilized for Saarang. My friends spent the money buying combo tickets for all the shows combined. They spent their money on the first days of the sale, but even on the last day of the sale, I had my Rs.2000 with me.

My friends kept pestering me to spend the money on the combo ticket, but I waited. They ridiculed me, but I didn't care.

Finally, there was an offer for front row seats to the concert of Shankar Mahadevan for Rs.2000. Since I have heard and liked his songs, I spent the entire money on ONE ticket and had a blast!!

Year after year, when I have to make decisions like these, I realized that everyone would have an opinion in your life, but you should take the final call, after considering them. Bcoz, in the end, it's you who has to live your life.

Forget the old saying, Lone Wolf dies and the pack survives. Atleast the Lone Wolf would die satisfied than live in the pack as an unsatisfied member.

Why Me? Coz your struggles make up for your Big days!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 07:40:00 +0000

Weird title, ain't it? But the first part has always seen a spike in the bad times, especially in the light of the recent events. Breadwinners being laid off, students entering into crucial stages of their school life, would-have-been-by-now college freshmen stuck at home for months, college-goers, maybe for the first time in their life, desperately want to get back and what else, everyone keeps asking the question Why Me? When you put in your best efforts and don't get what you think you should have got, Why Me, of all people? Why, Why, Why??? I can understand your frustration because even I am going through the same as all of you. But I was always shown the silver linings, why I should never ever say "Why Me?"

Before we plunge into life philosophy, let's do a little bit of history, shall we? I was born in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, where I spent good 12 years of my life. My father's business was on the track of profit, we were the first house in the locality to have two cars ( One belonging to the house owner, of course. Come on, you didn't expect us to be that rich, did you?), spent nearly 50 rupees every weekend at a pay-and-play video game shop, when my friends used to spend no more than 10 rupees( It was 10 rupees for 30 minutes), all going good. But like every film, there soon came a twist: Changing business environments and few bad business decisions pushed us to the verge of bankruptcy, we realized we had to leave everything near and dear back and move to Kerala. At that time, the only question lingering in my mind was "Why Me?". I studied well, was in the good books of teachers and friends, participated in every possible activity and it ends in this? So, our Exodus from Trichy took place in April 2013.

When we came to Thiruvananthapuram, where I currently reside, I thought things would turn for the better, but I was gravely mistaken. I had to stay (and still staying) in my grandpa's( who likes being an empty-nester) house, who didn't like the idea of an entire family staying with him indefinitely. Topping it off with we had very little money left that my father had to depend on him, and he would use it as leverage against the rest of us( Me, my younger sister and my mom). Then came the question of which school to join. Acho( that's my slang for Achan, meaning Father in Malayalam) wanted to admit us in the most prestigious( yet costliest) school in the city but ended up admitting us in another school, out of practical considerations. I always feel that he made the right decision by doing so, for this decision of admitting me into Sree Narayana Public School would change me forever.

Twist No 1: At SNPS ( as it is abbreviated), I was sidelined as a "Tamil Boy" who didn't know much Malayalam( even today that is more or less the case, but it has improved) and had very little friends( two to be exact who were NRKs( Non Residents of Kerala) like me). But I moved on and passed class 10 and decided to pursue Humanities over the "popular" Science and Commerce.

Twist No 2: St Thomas Central School in 2017 gave me kind of a cold shoulder, but I won't blame it for the students were from privileged backgrounds and me from a middle-class family. They were talking about things I was hearing for the first time,( Believe Me, I came to know of Netflix only in class 11!!). The exposure these kids got was far beyond mine, and I realized I won' t survive in this cut-throat competition. So back to studies.

In these years in Kerala, I always asked: "Why Me?" Nothing seems to happen my way (exception Academics). But what I realized at the end of these years is that there is a greater power at work behind the scenes, trying hard not to get you to say "Why Me?" and these "Why Me?"s were a prequel to the final sequence. What was that, FOLLOW ME!

2019 CBSE Class 12 Board Exams. Worked the life out of myself. Gave them my best shot and what did I get in return? 1st Rank in Thiruvananthapuram, 2nd in Kerala and 5th in India!! Relatives congratulating, friends demanding treats, award functions, what more? True Story people, I got more awards in 2 weeks after the results were declared than I did in 6 Years!! ( Might seem like an exaggeration, but take it or leave it).

Here's another one for you. I am sure you'll know Steve Harvey much better than I do. His Motivated+ Series is a must try-out during these hard times.

Never fuss about what didn't get, keep doing what you always used to do and like it's said in Gully Boy "Apna Time Aayega"( meaning Your Time will Come" in Hindi).