Strange Ramblings

Euro Trip #1 - Plan

2012-01-29T22:13:00.000+03:00

View Euro Trip #1 in a larger map

Take that. The itch will finally be satisfied.

Countries being touched: France -> Belgium -> Netherlands -> Sweden -> Finland -> Denmark -> Germany -> Czech Republic -> Austria -> Germany -> France

31st of January -> 21st of February 2012

\m/ JOIN IN :)

Euro Trotting - The Beginning

2012-01-26T15:46:00.000+03:00

Stepping into the 'developed world' for the first time definitely felt strange. I just bring that distinction out simply because it is omnipresent, or atleast made that way by plenty'a people.

There is this thing that I really like to do. Always taking a detour on my way to the final destination. What ensued was a layover in Helsinki, Finland. And the view out from the plane window of the Finland landscape covered with snow and what looked like scattered pine trees, was beyond words. Glad that the city had the season's first snowfall just the day before, everything around was much brighter. The thing that struck me the most about Finnish is that they are as 'direct' people as you'd ever find, and they'd call a spade a spade with the straightest possible face. You try and bullshit them, and you'd definitely be sorry. And all this, was not just a passing observation, it's been ratified by the few that I know out here in Grenoble.

Getting back. The detour had a few more bumps with it. Paris and Lyon. But they were limited only to the travelling routes, beautiful though they were. Reaching my European Karmabhumi Grenoble, to put it into perspective.

Mouth watering view from La Bastille, Grenoble

A breathtaking small town at the foothills of the alps, often referred to as the 'Capital of ALPS', is a curious town to live in. With 'Skiing' and 'Snowboarding' probably being the two most spoken words around, with people's lives revolving around the weather just to track the best time to hit the Alps (especially in January), with the ever so lovely 'Chartreuse', and with the never ending parties, this town just amazes me. And I secretly hoped for one such town, simply because I feel larger cities are just same all around, be it New Delhi, Doha, or Paris, same, at least in the sense of lifestyle. They just seem to lose that teeny bit of personality (which makes the most difference) that the region should actually have had.

Quick word about Grenoble Ecole de Management, it just seems too random, mostly because it just has too many programs on offer. The number of people attending this college is just crazy, but perhaps that is the best part especially being on exchange, you just have that many more people to interact with. I'd give ALOHA a special mention out here, for being the coolest student body I have ever come across. The pains that they go through to help the incoming students, and the events that they organize, TWO THUMBS UP!

And the people. I just wonder when would Indians start to live the care free life. It's high time that we move beyond all the futuristic planning and start living the present. I have often heard statements saying that Indians are the most hard-working people and all, although true to some extent, that's no excuse to stop living. And what's with all that pressure since birth. I'm glad that I was raised different (Can't thank you enough Mom Dad), but come on, that's just plain idiotic when you don't allow your kids to find their own way, even no-brain animals do it. And for Heaven's sake, let the girls be free. One for the Republic Day pledges?

It's like an addiction this multi-cultural environment. You just can't get enough of it. Life is so much more fun and unpredictable this way. I tasted it in Qatar for the first time, and I am relishing it out here.

I have used the words 'beautiful', 'breathtaking' and 'beyond words' often, perhaps most in any single piece of writing, YET.I just couldn't help myself. Somehow the world seems to be shot in 'technicolor' out here, with every element just more vivid, sometimes just too overwhelming for the eyes that are used to a, if i may term it in possibly the harshest way, rustiness of the Indian film.

And perhaps the story would get interesting enough for 'Eurotrip 2' ;)

Lastly, every city has its own story, I just hope to make that a part of my story too, and to that end i'll start the city hopping in less than a week's time (can't wait to do away with that itch ;D)

P.S. This is what happens when you wait too long to blog, and hence end up with too much or too generic (by the human way of forgetting) to write. That reminds me, the smallest of journeys, from Lyon to Grenoble, surrounded by Alps, with a few hilly passes, with Coldplay on, on my second day in Europe, the 4th of January 2012, possibly the serenest I have felt in my life. The explanation, nothing rational, but I was just in that mood for whatever reason.

Adieu jusqu'à la prochaine fois !

5 Samurai

2011-09-11T23:24:00.000+03:00

This is perhaps one of the strange ways in which one can blog. Chennai airport is disappointing to say the least, and here I am sitting in a dirty corner (to catch a plug point), fighting mosquitoes and sleep, to get to you an event that has been THE EVENT in these first few months of my MBA.

Following events are depicted possibly with a bias and any resemblance to an existing actual event is totally intentional..

It all started with this stumbling upon DoMS, IIT Ms release for Samanvay, annual fest, on dare2compete.com, and what transpired since then has been hectic fun, as extreme on both the scales(hectic, fun) as far as you can imagine. Just to add perspective to what I want you to understand, the synopsis of the event excited me so much so that I started preparing strategies on whom to rope in to have the best possible chance. And the end result, though could have been better, does leave a sense of pleasure, a sense of satisfaction, and a reaffirmation of my belief in hard work.

Oh yes. It was plenty hard work. However, from what I hear of the events that unfolded during the first round (online quiz on Online Retail, which I somehow managed to miss), it will be foolish of me to claim something like that. When you make legendary blind guesses after seeing like a bald dude's photo and connecting it to Amazon CEO, I mean, who the fuck does have that kind of 'epiphany'.

But then again, the real work started off in the 2nd round, and after missing out on all that fun how could I let this go. And I am pretty sure that my fellow CXOs would agree to this that it ain't good having an obsessed crazy prick kicking them from behind to get the work done. You ought to resort to such extreme measures though. What really helps is the amount I enjoy it doing sometimes, I confess. Also, at the risk of being called an egotist, I'd like to pat my back on the amount of work that I'd gotten done on those timelines. What dedication cannot achieve in this world.

(MBAs) --> As CXOs we had to start and build upon a startup art supplies company making strategies across all functions. O'course I ended up with the most 'ghissu' of works, the work that involved the most leg work, the COOs job, but that had to be taken up and worked upon as some other functions depended upon it. I still am pleasantly surprised at the adrenaline rush that I get in such time crunch situations. Awesumness :)

The real experience still awaited us in the shadows though. Today finally arrived. The organizers did pack a punch in the final round. A board room environment was set up. Situations were given encompassing all functions and instant decisions were to be made However the biggest surprise was when we heard about judges being industry moguls. And then when IIM B (who eventually won) went on with their presentation first, it was like we had bitten more than what we could chew. Being newbie's and all, we were so much off colour in terms of presentation (compiled in like half an hour while sitting at the airport) that we even contemplated backing out at one point. We had good workings, that is what got us the short list, but that counts to zilch in front of the judges if you aren't able to bring it out through the presentation and then back it up with deep domain expertise. And with all the competition being from second year, we really needed to cover in the presentation what we lost in terms of knowledge. Kudos to the team for pulling off the presentation well, just on the weight of the knowledge of the workings and getting the points across to the judges, compelling them to adjudge the best CMO and CIO from IIFT Kolkata.

Take Aways -->

Belief, dignity and pride, it was tough, those last few hours of the competition.

Amazing learnings from such an exhaustive and comprehensive competition, exposing us to various business dimensions at once, getting work done under immense time constraints (mostly due to parallel activities).

The competition in general, and deep realization of work that needs to be put in for such competitions.

And most of all, the encouragement that our competitors gave us in the end, commending our work to be of the highest order given that we just started off with our MBA, instructing us to keep at it, hell yeah !!

Signing Off.

Harshit Didwania

COO and self proclaimed Team Leader ;)

Team Kamikaze - IIFT K

A Messi Affair !!

2011-09-04T21:46:00.000+03:00

Expectations. Expectations.

A clash between Argentina and Venezuela was lying at the ditch near the bottom of the pyramid, and people were just concerned about one phenomenon (yes, he is nothing less than a phenomenon), the converging point of the sides of the pyramid, LIONEL MESSI. And boy, did he put on his charm and mesmerized Kolkata with his masterly, skillful display.

Going Back and Forth…

A transition from 4 years of my life, when high attendance was not even joked about, to a phase wherein I get confused easily between the place where I’m supposed to study and the place where I’m supposed to sleep, life has almost come a full circle. But the centre point still remains the same. Life is meant to be lived fully, taking pleasure in whatever hogs your timeline. And that is precisely what I have been trying to do with all the deadlines.

In hindsight though, whatever the case may be, you never should lose sight of ‘the real stuff’. And football does offer you that kick. Even more so, when we talk about Messi and India in the same breath.

Kolkata – The Host

Sorry for the abrupt change of tone, but it was disappointing. Shoddy stadium patch up work, and even shoddier design. And why price tickets so high when you know that you won't be able to fill the stadium to capacity, even when the magician himself is at work.

Management. What is that? We as friggin' MBA students would have done a better job. Stampedes. Bad. Seeing the fairer sex and children getting crushed in the crowd. Loathes. So much so that I took it upon myslf to form like a wall with whatever strength I had *pats his back*

Then there was this Lady, and I am not exaggerating at all but by calling her a lady I have given her respect of which even an ounce she doesn't deserve. What led to such hatred and anger was a simple case of being rude and simply put, being a shameless bitch, to the cutest of kids, from a far away land, that you'd find on the ground interested, watching football as passionately as Indians watch cricket. Details I'd rather not divulge, but to give you an estimate, my nails were literally biting into the skin of my palms as a control measure (just to avoid starting a ruckus). And here I thought, Calcuttans to be the warmest people around :|

Mes(si)merizing

Goodness Me. The vision of the wonder boy. The ability to read plays. The ability to create plays. And the pure ingenious of the way that ball seems to stick to his feet, follow his each and every command, almost as if he's playing with a remote control, was breathtaking to witness. To add to all that, and at the risk of sounding gay, his infectious smile could charm even the straightest of guys :)

Football

Better than average game. Goalkeepers excellent for both sides. Venezuela had probably the best opportunity going forward. Argentina linked up pretty well going forward and created several opportunities which they weren't able to grab until the 67- 68' with Otamindi's header. And the game had some great tackles, great through balls and even better lobs with many close misses and a solo woodwork play.

Take-Away

Couple of years ago, I would never have dreamt that this day I'd be two matches down (First One --> http://strangeramblingsofmymind.blogspot.com/2009/11/brasil-vs-england-match-day.html --> MUST READ). Truthfully, the first experience was far better for the simple reasons that people in Qatar were more passionate when it comes to football, and it had a complete carnival feel to it, whereas Calcutta was more of laid back. But still Argentina, Venezuela, and the game itself, made everything worthwhile.

Ending it with a simple observation.

It really is a MESSI WORLD !!

"Corporate" Roadies

2011-07-26T17:24:00.001+03:00

People like to claim a lot of stuff. And so the name of this event was kept "Corporate" Roadies <Notice the quotes>

Idea Inception

Possibly from the host's particular liking for MTVs Roadies.

Probably from the PDPs main "anchor" being compared to Raghu.

The Auditions

" You know that you are here voluntarily "

You ought to say such lines before taking one's case. One should after all know the reason of the ass whopping that one is about to receive. And that 'voluntary' just kicks off the mind games part of it all.

The experience bordered on unpleasant for most of us. It was like the ragging we never had, though some of us did end up laughing their guts out at the effort it took some of the judges to emulate the real ones (Some just don't have the face, or the stomach to get ugly). At the end of it all, 8 of us were branded as Roadies.

The "Corporate" Part

Enough with the exaggerations. Not to forget, we were in a B School after all. The first few rounds were inclined towards that. With competitions like Team Logo, GDs, Team Extempore, Debate, B-Idea etc, the mind was disturbed quite often, promptly and abruptly. Team Logo was super fun, but the best was Team Extempore. The involvement of the whole class, crazy stories, haphazard bullshitting, and the voting twist, all on the back of a planted idea that we'll have a case study as our next task, super.

The Host

GMAT? Seemed like that. Constant pain in the ass. Kuch bhi karo, problem hai. All kinds of seen and unseen twists that you can think of. Constant juggling, wiggling around. So much so that after the initial plotting around we simply stopped, resigned to our fates. What actually goes amiss in all the hooplah is his keen observing skills. Credentials, he may not have to judge, nevertheless, the sheer feedbacks that he gave to us, be it compliment or criticism, made him good enough.

The Roadies Part

I can't think of anything that was without a twist. Everything in the Fair-Play playbook, and many things outside it were thrown in the mix. Surprises, Vote Ins, Vote outs, Class Votes, advantages, immunity, Guest Judges et al. The funny part was, at some point or the other, the host must have picked up certain twists by raking our heads, and incessantly barging us about what do you expect < Kuch toh pakka pick kiya hoga? >

And then there were rounds towards the end. The ones which people kinda fear. The details of which are better kept outside from this space. Just as a hint: Think Gory. Think verbal Gory.

The Finale

Perhaps the most difficult thing that one can be asked to do. Or perhaps one of the easiest. Depends mainly on how you take it. But it does get scary when you are asked to sell yourself in front of the whole class. Talk about yourself <Self obsess much> Convince. And then, not to forget, the interrogation that follows. People, hinged on even the slightest of sounds that you make, trying to get on your nerves, grueling you, going for your neck. The Judgement then delivered by the class. And here I STAND :)

The Experience

Fun. Exciting. Intriguing. Satisfying. Constructive. The best take away for me by far was the spike in the confidence in situations out of my comfort zone. And yes, the hooting that was going on in the finale for me, the faces that I read after I was done selling myself, being "The First Roadie" from IIFT and all, did make me blush, literally too when i went on stage after winning :)

P.S.

Me --> better known as ' Sadakchaap ' in the circles from now on :|

@souptik brilliantly done

@CR "I am the best" ;)

@Rakhi Bhai, control. Maarne mein itna interest achi baat nahi <Finale>

@deepayan the silent passer > Ashutosh

@ashwin no hard feelings ;)

@prashant agression mera dusra naam hai...

@sahil B Idea mein tp mast hua tha, wahi sunday tha woh, the day i ended up making 4 presentations, huahah..

@patil Voted In. Need I say more..

@madan "The Best Audition" baaki toh kuch zyaada hua nahi...

@CLASS Thank You for bearing me out ;)

Posted via email from Strange Ramblings !!

La Fearless Cinema'

2011-04-05T15:47:00.001+03:00

If you have passion for Movies & Music or let me correct myself if they are food for your soul.. This is the place you should breathe in. -- Saransh Goila, the Karta-Dharta, La Fearless Cinema'

There are only a few things worth writing about in this world. So here goes..

Nestling in the modest Jhulelal Apartments, in the so-called less glamorous, less happening part of Delhi (yep, North West Delhi has been cursed many-a times), lies this place, which has been steadily growing in the list of my To-Go places. And the only reason i say 'steadily growing' is 'cuz its still just sinking in. Every nook, every inch. Brick by Brick.

First Reactions? Whoaa. Bliss. Confusion.

Whoaa. Vibrancy of the whole package. It just hits you at that first step.

Bliss. The Sound. The Seats. And the god-damn 'Avatar'.
Confusion. Did he really got it done. Who fuckin' did the interiors for this place? (SG, there's always ID if you just get bored with all the cooking, the publishing and the film making ;) )

Home? Lounge? Party House? You bet. And what makes me so sure, you ask. Well, its just The Bar Station, The Pool Table, The Lazy Boys, The Crowd, The Klipsch's, and "the giant panda in the room" The Screen. Not to forget our very own personal Chef :) What is there not to love.

@ SG

I Really hope you put these following lines into the context meant.

There will always be non-believers. Slap 'em. Move on.

Proud and all. Hell ya. And use the place to step onto the self confidence of those who were ignorant enough not to believe in you and un...

I still cant fathom some of reactions (-ve) that I have heard of people visiting. But that is how people are.

Space. Celebration preparations couldn't have had a better place. Music does the trick. And it feels really uncanny that our parents got married on the same day. Good though. Reasons for our similarities?

2011 Cricket World Cup. India. SRT. True Story *High Five*

Black Swan, takes the cake, of all the movies that we have watched up until now.

Pardon my non-diplomacy, informality. Our friendship never had room for that, if you know what I mean.

P.S. I do want such a place all to myself. Perhaps not as elaborate, as grand, as yours. Smaller will do perfectly. And I do have a picture in my mind. Will get to it when the time comes. 100%

Posted via email from Strange Ramblings !!

Mom Dad's Card

2011-03-18T16:46:00.001+03:00

Impromptu 10 Mins:

“

I am still a big mystery, if fact, I myself don't know wht I am capable of http://mail.google.com/mail/e/gtalk.347" width="14" />

You wouldn't believe when I first discussed this idea with Saransh, Chachi and Nupur di, all of 'em were like 'what? u thought of this?' and the apparently people were like 'Harshit ne socha yeh sab, baap re' Such was the built up hype.

Then all the work that I'd put in for a good part of 2 weeks, daant bhi khaayi papa se, roz ghumne chala jaata hai, wagarah, i made the card at a friend’s place, the hiccups, the tension and everythin, so worth it.

And when finally people saw, I could see them drooling all over it we had a reading, at 12 on 12^th. I read all the cards in front of every1 in my typical delhi tone, ppl went berserk, laughing aloud, such was the effect, bade log bhi yes....

and finally, sabne mujhe 1 nahi, 2-3 baar sunaya ki how i had pulled it off beyond their imagination (((Modesty my arse, this is one thing about which i'd never be modest)))

Nupur Di was like idea toh execution ke saamne kuch bhi nahi tha J

Shikha wishes ki woh mama mamiji ki 50th pe kuch aisa kare J

You ought to read it, the real fun is in the material, I bet I can make you laugh ur guts out with 'em, and each n every card is the truth, mom is still amazed, and confused, did harshit really pull it off? you bet i did...

Also, if u'd have read ne of my previous blogs, u'd have definitely known that I do have a creative bone, somewhat. Creative one place, Creative All Around :D :D

“

Fact: It took me 1 1/2 hrs to come up with 3-4 ideas, and write 25 cards. One on the finest moments of my life I bet.

P.S all that shit, it might just be worth blogging ;) Pics

-- HARRY

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Mom Dad's 25th Celebration

2011-03-16T15:31:00.001+03:00

A CONVERSATION b/w 3 kids

Pranav: Do you know our Nana and Nani have completed 25 years of marriage.

Aarna: What is marriage?

Bharggav: Do you remember horse in the Zoo

Pranav and Aarna: yes

Bharggav: 25 years back Prabhu Nana sat on the horse and played ring a ring a roses 7 times with Shakuntala Nani and got Nani with him.

Aarna: what did they do together for 25 years

Pranav: they did circus

Bharggav: do you know Nani was the ring master, and Nana loyally followed all the instructions of Nani for 25 years.

Aarna: O that is a very great achivement.

Pranav: So lets wish them many many happy returns of the day.

Aarna, Pranav, and Bharggav: Happy Anniversary

The Gist.

And I couldn't have put it better myself. 25 years. Phew. A truly great achievement.

Vrindavan and Around

Detached from the usual, the ordinary, the parties, at a time when Holi is just on the horizon (there was a 'victim' in the group of the intriguing lathmaar holi, oh yes), the decision to celebrate in Krishna's backyard, to cap 25 years of marital bliss, beautiful, elegant and peaceful. And what it offered the most is 3-4 days with a group of 40 odd dear ones.

The Big Bang

00:00 Hrs. 12th March 2011.

w00t. w00t. Congratulations. Snaps. Smiles. Gifts. Hugs.

And time for my efforts of every second of the past two weeks to bear fruits.

That glint in Mom Dad's eyes, that amazement in the voice's of everyone around at how I pulled it off from scratch and those laughters that filled up the space upon each reading of 1 of my 25 cards, frankly, standing ovations would have hidden their faces, such was the euphoria that I felt. And modesty my arse, I am damn proud.

"Kaun Kehta hai Ladke Creative nahi hote. Ideas toh bahaut hain. Bass execution mein phat-ti hai" - Me

The Morning Bash

Govinda's. Iskcon.

" Bilkul nahi Karni hai Jai Mala " - Dad

Main toh khud nahi karna chahta but baaki logon ko kaun samjhaaye.

And that huge finger licking cake. Gorgeous and Delicious.

The Chappan Bhog

Bolo Baanke Bihari Ji ki Jai.

The whole 9 yards. Woh tokriyon pe prasad bhagwan tak leke jaana. Woh grand (neend laa deni waali, Sanskrit is to blame) puja. Woh Punditon ko jeemaana. Woh khaane pe fir khud toot padna. ( yeh and that 9 significance is not lost. apparently India lost 9 wickets during the same period )

In Between the Lines

Milna Shilna. Gappe Shappe Maarna. Ek dusre ki taang kheechna. Card ki 2nd, 3rd tym padhna :) Photu Kheechna.

All this just reminded me of why i'd never want to stay outta India :)

Taj and Around

Govardhan. GokulDham. Mathura. Really?

Fatehpur Sikri chalne ka thaa instead. Anyways. Experience was still invaluable. Lord Krishna appearing himself in the marble wall separating the Masjid and the Mandir (Please, looked like your normal oxidation to me). The Sham run at GokulDham (if you know what I mean).

Taj. The ride to and from. The Posing. The berserk clicking, with a camera in each one's hand. Fun.

Epilogue

Success. Wouldn't have been possible without all your blessings and Mom Dad's efforts.

@Saransh: Thanks for the help with the card.

@Chachi: Thanks for helping out with the cake and the card. And I guess aap nahi bolte toh main likhta nahi yeh blog. Writing more frequently, Tick.

@Bhuaji's: Malas. Although, I didn't want 'em, it wasn't that bad.

@Munni Bhua, Dadiji: Solitaire. Mast thi.

@Monu bhaiya: you wouldn't believe how everyone loved your writeup. I told you, heart felt always rocks. Aana Tha.

@Tina Di Innovation. Salute.

@Nupur Di: That Idea bouncing phone call really settled any nerves that I had. The collage, lovely. @Tinki Di

@Saurav Bhaiya: Gokul Dham ho gaya iss janm ke liye. Fir nahi ;)

@Sandhya Bhabhi Puchu ko toh sirf aap hi manage kar sakte hi, baaki sab fail..

@Rohit Bhaiya: aap prakat hue. Hum Dhanya Hue :D

@Vinita Bhabhi: Itni hi Hindi padhi jaati hai mujhse. But jab mom ne ghar pahaunch ke padh ke sunaya. Wow. Fabulous card tha.

@Neha Di: Phone calls ke beech mein itna saara free time. How do you manage ;) btw bhua ne woh love letters padhne ko diye aapko?

@Prateek: Amazin clicks at Govindas. Nice Job. Khud bhi khichvaa leta ek aad bevakuf ;)

@Shikha: Paagal. Bilkul paagal. Never Change. And saari photography toh tune hi ki thi wahan :)

@Kappu Di: Sab ki kitni taang kheechoge aap :D Hass Hass ke thak gaya tha main.

@Chetan: Computer. Seriously.

@Madhvi: High Five :)

@Reetesh Jiju: More trips on card?

@Gautam Jiju: Time Management :) sahi pahaunch gaye :)

@Anu Bhaiya: Bass aage se Chaaukidaar rakh lena. Enough Bahane Baaji.

@Chika: Ind-SA Match. So not worth it :D

@Ritch: Missed.

@Dad: woh office naa jaane ke liye daant khaana was so totally worth it :)

@Mom: No Peeking :)

@Mom, Dad: Pulled it off brilliantly. 25 years. Congratulations :)

CHEERS.

HARRY.

Posted via email from Strange Ramblings !!

@ BITSAA Delhi Meet

2010-10-25T15:09:00.001+03:00

Dt. 23rd Oct, 2010

Venue: Liverpool Terminal, Tivoli Gardens, Delhi

First things first. Surely they did not come up with the name this year ;) Relegation Much.

An excellent choice of location. Farmhouses are way better than Auditoriums of Halls and topping it was the weather. Perfect day for a cocktail party. Perfect opportunity to meet fellow Bitsians, most of 'em for the first time, many of 'em after more than a year. Did I have anything better to do? Frankly, OASIS, but things don't pan out always. Was the Saturday Night worth it? Totally.

The Bling

Shouldn't hot chicks be like the middle name for Cocktail Parties? Well everything's not what it seems. But there always is a ray of hope. Especially when you are in a cluster of farmhouses. So after a few exchanged pleasantries, and a few drinks down, we trotted towards the IIFT Fashion Show (For MBA Aspirants, like me, out there, the F in IIFT is for Fashion). Just what was needed to get those testosterone levels bursting. And at times like these, we sit and wonder, "Engineering, really?". Human Nature, never gets satisfied. Lets just leave it at that.

The Crash

Crashing Parties. Fun-eh. First the IIFT Show, now a wedding/reception party. The aim was to find chicken and kebabs, but gol-gappas and chaat had to do. Btw, if the party organizers are reading this, please a request, "learn to throw a party before actually throwing another one". Boring.

The Sardar

Back at our den, things were starting to warm up, from the insides (Get It!). And whats better than comedian. A drunk Surd. At least this one was. 72-77 Batch, pardon my "ability" to remember names. You remember that classic surd joke. "Paape time ki hoya hai? And then the sardar turns his wrist to check time, and spills glassful." So, he held a glassful of cocktail, and delivered the joke perfectly. The USP o'course was the unexpectedness of it all. You don't expect someone 30 yrs older than you, probably having kids of your age, to do something like that. You'd think it'd be hard to top that. Well, he did it. Now he had a quarter glassful. And we thought that finally he will get to the usual topics of discussion at such affairs. But you remember that joke when the same sardar being intelligent doesn't fall for the same trick next year and says so with hand actions of 'nahi' thus spilling the drink again. Well he did it perfectly with an innate skill of a comedian, adding a twist all the while, thereby spilling a lot on us too. Fun.

The Meet

Alumni Meets. I am sure you know what to expect. The usual stuff was going around. Stories of their times, stories of our times, the present time, the plans et al.

The Drunk

Limits. Should. Be. Known. As simple as that. And since I haven't named a soul yet, I will refrain here too. And when "you" read this, do keep those words in your mind. It wasn't pleasant towards the end, really. And some of the best laid plans - that started and ended with not going home until next morning (Mind It!) - had to be adopted for half the gang.

The 2-3 Show

Mocha. One of the few places that would still be buzzing at that hour. The usual, and catching up on the past year and a half, and more. And that BlueBerry shake was delicious.

The Drive

Mani Singh Johar. The man behind the wheel. The man at the behest of whom this has been written. The man who deserves a mention. Close friends do know of this incident. Chintu (Mani's bro), a few years ago, on his way back to Pilani, in a rented chauffeur-driven car, not only finds himself at the wheel, at 3-4 am, but also sleeping. Next thing, A Khet, A tractor, possibly few damages, 2 of our favourite people alive, and a story that is sure to be told at our silver jubilee meet. And you don't expect two fruits from the same tree to fall apart from each other. And for a half high Mani to pull the rabbit out of the hat, *bow*.

After picking up 2 more from the remotest corner of Gurgaon, we decided to drive to Manesar, 25-30 kms towards Jaipur, to have a bite at our very own all night McD, only to be stuck in a jam that reminded of the one in China last month. And after an hour of waiting, where the truck divers behaving like this was any other day, switching off their head lights and dozing off, we decided to act upon the idea of getting the car on the road to the other side, which was a good 3 ft. below the one on which we were, separated by a green slope with potholes and protruding tree trunks cut to a feet or two, and a fencing around a feet high, and not to mention the trucks on the other side whooshing past us at 100kmph. With a little bit of commonsense engineering and with a panicky-daredevil-not so sober Mani at the wheel, we got beyond saving at least a few hours to say the least.

The End

Finally, checked in back at my place around 7, dead tired.

---

Harry

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Kingdom of Dreams

2010-08-09T10:27:00.001+03:00

Presently enjoying the much needed hiatus from work, the past 2 weeks have been nothing short of awesome. And adding to that I finally am staying at home, for more than just a vacation, after a good long 5 years. Feels surreal, and reminds me of the good ol' days when things like What is on TV tonight? or What is there for dinner? were my biggest worries. Its almost like I, myself am living in a Kingdom of Dreams (KOD).

So what actually is KOD. As their very own marketing campaign says, "It is Dilli Haat on steroids". Aptly put. Its a modern cultural hub. A blend of India's art, culture, heritage, craft, cuisine et. al, with all the technological wizardry of today. And if I daresay, it does give a feel of an elaborate film studio set, after all it is designed by one. Also, as a matter of fact, construction cost is estimated at a whopping Rs. 200 crores, and it feels like it. It has 3 main divisions as of now:

Culture Gully: an elaborate culture, arts, crafts and food boulevard.
Nautanki Mahal: showcasing an extravagant cinematic and theatrical musical.
Showshaa Theatre: a fabulous, colourful drama marquee spotlighting Indian mythology productions, a mock wedding show and the great Indian talent circus.

The latter two will be opening soon.

With Nautanki Mahal being India's first platform for live entertainment musical theatre, amongst other things, we very well now have our very own Broadway/Opera House/Moulin Rouge, and from what I gathered from the news, the production of the first Bollywood Musical is already on its way for the same. Above all, India finally has a sky-like (Venetian-like) ceiling indoors. And it is Magnificent, to say the least, aesthetically pleasant and southing to soul (I still wonder though, what took them so long, when even Qatar has got it).

The tickets though are priced at the higher end, 750 bucks. Out of 50 is refundable and 600 you can (and must spend) inside. I think its simply brilliant. You just can't have the place over-crowded, for it to be enjoyable. It also ensures you just aren't there for window shopping. And that 750 does help the managers in maintenance of this place, which would definitely be higher than normal - Strategy Epitome. Besides, to tell you the truth, food alone will have all the cash drained out of your smartcards, and you'd end up spending more, as I did. Some really cool arts and crafts that you find in remote corners of India, you could find here. And if you still have doubts in your mind as to whether it is worth, it definitely is. You might not want to flock the place regularly, but occasionally. It definitely helps you take the edge off of stuff and helps you get lost in your dreams.

My trip was mostly about indulging in foods from across India, marveling at the beautiful sights and checking out various cultural dances. Also, there was one magical show, which was quite decent. Oh, and 70 kms of driving after a good long year :D And it involved some voracious clicking, albeit from my cell. Check out few that I have uploaded here.

Until next time then...

Harry.

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Doha Chronicles

2010-07-22T16:50:00.001+03:00

One of the feeble reasons why I came to Qatar is that I didn't want my Passport to expire again without getting some kind of stamp on it. I could have just flown off for a vacation to Bermuda instead, but then I’d have to have paid for it ;) With 2 more days to go in the desert, it feels about time I capped my stay here with one last writ (albeit more of a photo journal) from these lovely foreign shores.

26th July 2009

The day I embarked upon my professional journey. The day I set foot upon unchartered territory. Feelings and emotions overwhelming my psyche. Feelings like anxiety, excitement, fear, awe and the feeling that everything around you is getting bigger.

Forget the dates. I will do well enough to remember any more from here on. This on was quite easy to remember though. Those asses sent me to work the very next day of landing.

Al Sadd Development Complex, as it is called. Picture pe na jaao, apni akal lagaoo. There are 5 more buildings behind and on sides which aren't visible. People told me that I was lucky to start off at such a versatile project. Hotel, Residences, Offices, Recreational Area. I guess I was.

Sometime during Eid last year. There was this trip to the desert. Scorching Heat, I tell you. Forget the sun, there is this period of time when even if you stand for like 10 mins in shade, you'd be drenched in sweat. One thing that I'll surely not miss.

And Camel's are really god sent angels.

<Trivia> Apparently there is a restaurant in Dubai, one of a kind, that serves Camel stuff. Ewww.

Don't be surprised. Qatar in fact has more percentage of their borders surrounded by water than India. An yup, you really can see b-urkha clad women on the beach. Imagine what fun they'd be having. Huh.

O'course, unlike India, you also find green and blue waters around.

One thing that they are passionate about, the one thing that you enjoy more than having meat, the one thing that they have billions ready to spend, and the one thing that is at par with European standards. Sports. I mean they are bidding for Football WC 2022 alright, but they'd spend in the region of 5 billion just for Air Conditioning at the stadiums to bring temperatures from 40-50 to 24-27. Talk about grand.

Anyways, on 14th November 2009, I was lucky enough to be there when Brasil played Eng. Not even in my dreams I thought that I would see a live football match so soon, and of all the places, in Qatar. And then there was also a case of ManU team in Doha for a 4-5 days training session. Awesumness. Glimpses.

31st December 2009

This day I remember especially. The Shadow Picasso was still an Indian citizen and was on vacation in Qatar, and I stumbled upon him. My eyes couldn't have gotten any wider for sure.

February 2010

The much needed India trip. Exactly what the doctor ordered. It would have been near impossible if somehow had to stay here 1 year on the trot. I returned REVITALIZED if I may add.

May 2010

Drag Racing. Awesum fun, and this pic very well tells the story. The front tires are so in the air. And its fucking really very difficult to take snaps or make a video with all that engine noise. Blew me mind away.

Times In Between

Exploring Doha. Working. Meeting new people. Bald look. Bands. Cars. Ice Hockey. Carnivals. Swords. Fifa WC 2010.et al. Following will be a few select pics in and around the place and my work site. The past one year has been good, lots of new experiences, lots of new friends, and maybe I can even call myself a Mechanical Engineer in public now, I know some stuff :D

And just before I leave. The Site. When I came to it first and when I am leaving it. Not that I'd alone but I contributed :) Cya from India. Harry.

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The Nak3d Man

2010-07-05T17:46:00.001+03:00

It was every bit brilliant as it seems. Though I am pretty sure I would have to leave trying it out for another life.

The poses themselves were brilliant. The Thinker, Mr. Clean, The Coppertone Baby (my fav, Dhall really did a brilliant job on this one), Superman, et al. The biggest miss was the Burt Reynolds pose, "the one with lying around naked" pose

The Time is Dec 2008, the very next day of landing in Goa, when we still waiting for a few others to arrive, at Miramar Beach running along the beautiful Panjim, if my memory serves me right. The day had some really innovative captures.

P.S. What would I be?

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Reminiscing 24

2010-05-29T16:49:00.001+03:00

It was NOT just a show. Beware of the blasphemy on your part if you think otherwise.

It took Jack Bauer (a.k.a Keifer Sutherland in real world) just one day to capture the imagination of the world. And he shared 7 more days from his life with us mortals. And the journey has been nothing but spectacular.

In this world, where species have a dormant dream to be badass, 24 and Jack Bauer have been nothing short of a revitalising drug. You don't often get to see your wildest dream take an almost tangible form on the small screen and, I can smell it, add spice to our mundane lives.

Real time storytelling,

..the end justifies the means ideology,

..the head-on raw approach towards terrorism,

..Jack's colour-blindness (If there are lives to be saved, everything else goes out of the window),

..torture redefining (yes, the taboo word has been portrayed countless times, often taking it to the next level),

..recognizing the necessity to kill (Only Jack has made through from the start to the end of the 8th day),

..Kiefer Sutherland (the show would just not have been the same without him)

are just some of the million little pieces of why I <3 24

24th May 2010 was the day when 24 hung their boots. A bittersweet feeling, glad that the iron was still hot when they struck it, sad that there will no more of Jack.

P.S. Oh, and by the way, the last clock of the series, the only one which counted down instead of up. I noticed :)

P.S II This definitely deserves a mention. @nishitd 's blog post : You know you watch too much 24 when.. I wanted to write something like this but he beat me to it..

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Dinner Party

2010-05-20T16:44:00.001+03:00

OFFICE PARTIES ARE SO OVER-RATED. Oh wait, they are not. The one which I went to yesterday, couldn't have been lamer. Everything that I have seen about them in movies or read in books is true.

A rocking party is like a 4 wheeler, you get stuck even if one of the wheels is missing.

Hot Babes should be invited.
Booze.
Good Food.
Great Music.

Shockingly, organizers managed to goof up on all the 4 fronts.

You don't find too many chicks on a construction site, so they should have fuckin' invited people from the head office.

Or atleast provided us with booze so as to make us not fret too much about how thy party sucked.

"You don't eat meat? How the hell do you get the proteins into your system?"

WTF(*^#@)(*$^$)@_!@%! Come On you asshole, lot of people are vegans and they fuckin' will go on to live longer that you.

And btw, even the salads were confusing.

And please someone shoot that guy who selected the music.

Seems like Arabic Music has only one scale on the pianos and the guitars, same pitch, same music.

Hopefully the above statement is not true, cuz it would really suck for the arab world.

And the English Music seemed like something that one would play in an obituary.

And the thing about official dinner parties is that you end up meeting the same old people who are around you all the time. Nobody, I mean nobody bought any +1s or +2s or whatever, which was a little surprising (Hope its not always like this).

The only good thing was the hotel. Just your around the corner 5 star hotel nothing great, but the crowd was good. Something worthwhile at the end of it all.

P.S. Catch the pics here. I am sure you could take a guess on how interesting the party was by some of the pics that you see.

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MockUp Flats

2010-05-19T14:47:00.001+03:00

Some things are inseparable. Like EXTRAVAGANT SPENDING and the ARAB WORLD. So I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was when I walked into the mock-up flats done for my current project. Quite evidently, the good part of 21 years that I have lived in India has left a lasting impression, and rightly so. Lavish, Flamboyant and Flashy interiors with vibrant colors just caught me off guard. The only thing wrong about the whole affair was the intention of the client to lure prospective buyers with such lavish spendings, where a spoon cost 2k INR and a carpet cost 20-25k, when the very well know, no normal residence will be decorated even remotely close to what was on display. All said, you have to show off the POTENTIAL of the space, So...:)

Catch the pics here

Until next time.

Ciao.

P.S. Oh almost forgot. MIDMAC is throwing in a dinner party tonight at Inter Continental Hotel, Doha for all the hard work. Expecting big things.

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You know you are in Qatar when...

2010-04-20T12:04:00.001+03:00

... you pay more for drinking water than what you pay for fuel.

... you sweat buckets within 5 mins of standing under the sky in aug - sept.

... you get high quality Sheesha.

... you fail to see a single cloud for like 10 months a year.

... you see or not see the burqa-clad women wherever you turn your head.

... you find most of the retail, banking and other public services snoozing off midday around the year.

... you wake up at 3:30 am to get to the office for a few months.

... you cough up 130 Rs. for like 5 pcs of GolGappe.

... you get a whiff off a butchery shop in the most poshest of malls let alone street shops.

... you pay over 800 Rs. to watch Avatar in IMAX 3D, the theatre o'course still being not upto Indian standards.

... you have the biggest football game in Qatar history in 2-3 weeks and still the authorities are clueless about everything starting from tickets.

... you are stopped from entering malls and restaurants on a friday stating reason as family day ( we all know the truth ).

... you find a snail going past your car, yup.

... you hear echos of Allah O Akbar countless times a day.

... only off days on your calendar are the Qatar National Day and the 2 Eids.

... you feel like a prisoner, getting your finger printing done.

... you feel like you are on a month long vacation during the Ramadan fasting.

... you see people carrying bakri's in back of their cars ( Halaal much ).

... you need to make 4-5 rounds before you get through to a decent enough doctor for minor problems.

... you need to loosen your pockets before jumping a red light or not wearing seat belt ( 10,000 QR O_O )

... you never hear about green technology (Energy Conservation, what is that).

... you see driving lessons being doled out in PORSCHE.

... you get your "arse-kicked" by Qatari younglings, arrogance much.

... you get to spend most boring of the diwalis and holis ever :(

... you have to bank on online community and forums for credible information rather than official websites.

... you struggle to see swimsuits and bikinis even on the beaches.

... streets are void of people and loaded with sedans and SUVs

... you see decent quality labour camps, unlike the general conceptions.

... you turn on the shower and feel like the water is coming directly from some hot spring.

... polygamy is practiced to get up the status ladder (Ok, i might have cooked this up).

... you feel safe. ( Crimes are non - existent, except for a little oppression and discrimination).

... begging is a crime.

... you could find yourself in jail for eating in public during ramadan fasting hours.

... you can stroll inside a mall built in the famous Las Vegas Venetian style.

... you find the Lamborgs, the Mercs, the Bentleys, the BMWs, the Jaguars, the Rovers, the Cadillacs, the Bugattis, the Audis, the Alfa Romeos, the Koenigsegg, the Porsche, the Rolls Roycs, the Hummers, the Suzukis, the Ducatis, the Harley Davidson, cruising past ya on the street.

... you see construction equipment roadside instead of trees.

... you see sewage trucks sucking shit out of holes, literally.

... you see fancy currency with a translucent film/plastic binding 2 pieces of paper and coins, what are those.

... you need to get a license for liquor.

... you get to dance with countless number of filipinos in the most famous of discs, bars (probably on payroll).

... even a Brasil vs England friendly football match feels like a carnival.

and lastly,

... you get to shake hands with the Picasso of India.

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World is crazy

2010-04-05T16:36:00.001+03:00

Warning: Content might be offensive to some.

As if we needed any more telling on this. Still, from time to time, we stumble upon stuff that tend to reestablish the fact that "World is Crazy".

One such masterpiece is this. Yup, it is very much what the name suggests. A social (sexual) networking website. I mean who was the genius who thought of this. The 'usual' mapping of where people are having sex in the world is there, ie o'course if people are crazy enough to share it, with some nice add-ons. The age old question of "Where" is addressed beautifully: Indoor, Outdoor, Car, Boat, Hotel with a few more pointers about safe sex, first time etc. If this was not enough, they further go on to categorize mapping with hetrosexual, gay and lesbian markers and the "BIG BUNNY" steps in wherever there is to much bang*** going on. And how I have forgotten about the positions. O'course they have those too. The site would have been incomplete otherwise.

The statistics page is quite insightful. But they still need to go a long way for these to be accurate. Anyways, all you crazy people out there, go explore.

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Being B'a'ld !!

2010-04-04T11:10:00.002+03:00

Yes, I was bold enough to get bald. Just hope that you recognize me when our paths cross on some random street.

So this is how I spent last Friday.

Worrying at first. Should I or Should I not.
Getting to the barber's and going for the same ol' boring cut.
"Oh what the heck, dekhi jaayegi" kinda attitude to stop the barber in between and go with the trimmer.

Indecision was a big part of the whole affair. Just wondering if all the first timers had such difficulty in going through with it. All said, I am glad that I did it and it has turned out pretty darn well.

You might feel compelled to ask Why? For me it was more of curiosity about how i'd look and how it'd feel and the little thing called now or never.

'Delighted' is the word that describes my current state of mind. The small joy's that it brings like finally being able to ditch the everyday combing, the feeling of a well-mowed grass on your head, the water droplets reaching your skull and having a cooling effect you never thought to be possible, and this is just two days of living with it that I am talking about, are immense in today's life.

Somehow i feel more free. And as my friend Junna once said: " It's something, people who've never done will regret!! " So GO, GET BALD ;)

P.S. catch the craziness out here.
Oh, and before you leave, I have been called names after my last exploit, some of 'em being: "wannabe Lebanese", "Middle-east terrorist", "Scary ...", "Gadad DD", "Ghajini".. et al.

FAV B'DAY EXPLOITS

2010-03-31T10:24:00.001+03:00

There is a tradition in our college (as all colleges have), to beat the shit out of people on their B'days. So much so that they'll start regretting the day they were born. It is supposed to be a "4 pronged attack", which I am still not clear on, but i think they went something like this: *utha ke laat maarna*, *door se bhaag ke aake laat maarna*, RAPIDFIRE and my personal favorite FLAMES. Thank goodness we were, sort of, a peaceful lot and hated violence. I am glad that i wasn't put through such ordeal for my entire term at BITS, though I did participate in some of such brutal acts rather nonchalantly. Besides the violence, we also had the usual stories, confessions and other blah blah. Sometimes we ended up making people do "stuff" that is well X-rated and certainly not suitable for blogging. One such incidence was Mimsy's b'day Nov 1, 2008, the guy can really entertain sometimes :)

Of all the b'days that we ended up sharing over 4 years, one of my favorites will always be the one celebrated on Feb 4, 2007. Mani Singh has quite often ended up as my "punching bag", and this was one of those occasions.

Here is Mani getting hammered with the oily thing that people in Pilani (including us) called "CAKE", by my hands :P

Three things that I love most about this video:

Mani's "CHINKY" eyed expression, he could put 'its origins' to shame, just before he tastes the cake.
The satiated voracious crowd
The Perfect Execution

P.S I don't know if it'd be putting words in Mani's mouth but I think he was very glad after the whole episode, quoting him "Its good for my skin." :D :D :D

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Dilli Meri Jaan !!

2010-03-25T11:59:00.003+03:00

Dilli Meri Aan Baan aur Shaan !!

The picture says it all. I can't believe I have not blogged about Delhi until now. For those of you who know me the slightest bit, it should have come as a surprise :)

I have no clue where this is (please let me know if you have an idea, i'd like to visit this place), just came across it on the internet and it reminded me of my beloved place. I have always loved everything about Saddi Dilli. The people, the food, the weather, everything that you could possibly think of. People have tried time and again to waver my adulation for the city, albeit unsuccessfully.

I will admit to the naked truth that I sometimes stand by anything associated with Delhi rather stubbornly, but if u may cut me some slack, there are only so many things that one 'worships' in his or her life.

P.S Expecting some rave comments about this one. I'll be really surprised if this goes unnoticed :P

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Life and Lies of a Broker !!

2010-03-15T18:03:00.001+03:00

Ok. This title is not inspired from Harry Potter, or perhaps it is, cuz it was suggested by a friend who is an ardent fan. We were supposed to co-author this, but for now, I'll have to do. Here goes.

There is one person who might take this one a little personally, but do we really care. Its something that happened to me and some of my friends at the beginning of last year (ya, you really need to dial the clock THAT back, cuz blogging is somthin' that i started recently), when we were in need of a place to rest our asses in Bangalore at the end of all the 'ITing' every day.

We landed in Bangalore, in batches. We were 7 in all, and hunting a place for 7 bachelor's is like finding a needle (that may or may not exist) in a haystack. Things like boozing, smoking, girls, loud music and all the other little tid bits that disrupt the peacuful enviornment around, automatically get associated with a group like ours. Not to suggest that people are wrong in this, but they did falter by not including the GEEK quotient into the equation. Besides all those external pieces, everyone had their reservations about travelling long to their respective offices. Some right, some misplaced [arghh, idiots]. If it ain't for those misplaced pieces, we would have lived not 7 but 12. Anyways, not the point.

All this posed some serious threats to our plans of docking ouselves together at one place. But you know the human race. Hope against Hope (exaggeration, perhaps. Deal with it ;)) . So, we set out, one fine holiday, divided to look at multiple options, trusting each other, to get the job done. As it turned out, no one was ready to lease us a 'shelter', most of 'em retorting to the same old "7 bachelors and peace" story. The only option now seemed was to take 2 flats. When all seemed lost, Mr. Mukti (henceforth being reffered as Mr. Arse) stepped in.

So, this Mr. Arse, is a broker, has his office in one of the most posh areas of Bangalore, with slick interiors and a good first impression. The apartment, that was offered, was apparantly also nearby. When someone told me one month's rent for the place, i thought it to be a joke. I would never have agreed to the insane amount for a semi-furnished place if i thought we had a choice. The brokerage was o'course killing us, but since everyone stood there in front of Mr. Arse with their puppy dog face, there was absolutely no chance in hell of any liniency on his part. So, we scoffed a huge amount as brokerage, discussed lots of petty things about the accommodation and signed the contract (1 year). The mistake that we made was failing to recognize the fact that Verbal Communication amounts to zilch in the real world.

What is not in the contract is out of a nearby Bangalore drain.

Things like club membership being included in the rent, a "big big naala" that was supposed to be closed off within 2 months, water supply bill which was also supposed to have been already taken care of, might seem petty things now, but they were huge back then. He had forgotten all the promises that he made us but when it came to the rent or the security deposit advance, post dated checks was the way to go. Trust is like that Achilles' spot, and when you get lied, straight faced, that often, it is bound to die, specially when the safety deposit is, in total, more than twice of what I was earning during my complete internship of 6 months. Naturally we started making arrangements a good 2 months before. We had signed a years contract, on Mr. Arse's assurance that we can leave in 6 months and will be refunded the whole deposit amount. Our fatal flaw, once again came to haunt us. By this time however, since Mr. Arse has stopped returning our calls, we decided to talk directly with the owner. To our surprise (put as much sarcasm as possible in those 3 words), the client went to the extent to say "Who the hell is Mr. Arse", when we tried to tell him about our agreement. Hope this does make the picture clear.

Anyways, we somehow convinced the owner to just take 1 months rent from our deposit and return the rest. But the story didn't end here. When we went to en-cash the cheque, to our horror, they said the signs didn't match. I mean I know we made a bad deal, but so much wrong with one thing, I mean I had to pray. Thankfully, we didn't depend upon Mr. Arse for sorting things out, and the owner was a genuine guy, we received the money though online transfer in time.

I know it is no rocket science, renting an apartment, and dealing with a broker, but what can I say, we made a fool of ourselves.

P.S. This was supposed to come out as my first blog, but I never sat down and finished it. Finally :)

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Our Alma Mater

2010-03-11T13:42:00.001+03:00

And then there was light :)

I am in love with this snap. And I am sure this is one pic that would stir the feeling of nostalgia in even the most hardened of nut-cases found on this planet.

Captured during the inauguration ceremony of Apogee 2010, the photographer has done brilliantly to prolong the exposure just enough to take in the colors of the fireworks and still make it look real, rather than photoshop'd (though, i could be wrong), all in the backdrop of the pinnacle of BITSian pride, the ever-rising Clock Tower.

Fantastic.

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200* The Titan of the world cricket just got a little taller

2010-02-24T16:56:00.003+03:00

"The Titan of World Cricket just got a little taller"

Need I say more. The only thing that I would regret after this day is that I cannot brag "I was there when.." The only people I'll envy after today are those in the Gwalior stadium.

There is not much that I can say about the Little Master that hasn't been spoken off. There is not much to be read about Sachin that my generation has not already read. Comments like "I have seen God, he bats at no. 4 for India" from the people who have played against him, have been plastered all over the memory of this generation. All this and still that humbleness to die for. He truly is an IDOL.

You'd think with hopes of a billion people on his shoulder, he will start to stoop a little, well congratulations, you have just been branded the biggest fool to have walked on earth.

All said, it cost me a measly 49 Riyals to get Live TV on my cellphone, and a little more effort to postpone some of the work scheduled for today to tomorrow, to just watch the man create history in peace and awe.

PERFECTION PERSONIFIED.

Just before leaving, there are some tweets that I would like to share:
1) Guess Sachin has started a structured retirement plan. Complete all records, till Arjun starts playing.
2) Reducing the number of atheists in India since 1989- Sachin Tendulkar.
3) Commit all your sins when Sachin's batting for even god is watching.

THE LEGEND LIVES ON.

Memoirs India!!

2010-02-21T14:44:00.001+03:00

28th Jan 2010 - 15th Feb 2010

19 Days

The first thing that I remember distinctly is " wondering How clean Delhi is, on my trip from airport to home". For those of you who still live in that fantasy world, I was very much being sarcastic above. It still hurts knowing that such a thought even came to my mind, but it is what it is. I am extremely glad that it never recurred during rest of my stay and hopefully it stays that way for eternity.

Anyways, one thought could dampen your spirit only so much. Spirit, which was higher than the highest peaks of the world, I was back in the place I love the most, amongst people I love and care about the most, saw me chatting up with all the friends and family that I could find and making get together plans with anyone whom I could get hold of. But again, that is just the thing. You can make all the plans you want, in fact I am quite decent at making them, but probability of those plans materializing is a whole another story. O'course you cannot expect people to drop everything when you are in town, so you just ditch the old plan, and make a new one [:)]. And in between all that planning, lot of relatives showed up at my home. There is thing with Indian culture, it doesn't matter if you yourself are coming home after 6 months of "exile", if one of 'them' shows up at your doorstep, you still remain 'the host' and they 'the guest'. I did enjoy seeing a couple of faces for sure, but on the whole, this business wasn't too much to my liking. 19 days are too few for such commitments.

Regardless of all the juggling, planning an un-planning, I still had ample opportunity for meet ups, and it did happen frequently. One of those was on the occasion of Mani Singh's B'day. Now those of you who attended college with me know of this character, and for those who haven't had the pleasure to know him, I'd say you are just unlucky. GO FIGURE !! I would also have like to call out stuff about his "partner i crime" but alas, why shift the spotlight ;) And what can you expect when a company like ours (with chintae, mani, chats) get together, goof ups. Reaching City walk was a piece of cake, but after that finding Mocha was not. And since none of us had been there before, we ended up 6 people driving in a measly Maruti 800 around most of GK, Saket, Vasant Kunj, all kinds of Sarai's, finally landing Def Col, and all for what. One measly Mocha cafe when Hard Rock Cafe was sitting just a block away all the while. But who am I to say. Then there was that chocolate something flavoured hookah. I cant say that I have had worse. All considered, it was fun. And thanks for the treats Mani Singh. (How could I forgot to mention that some of these people thought that I have gotten mellow, thanks guys :P)

Chef turned Publisher? Vice-versa? Actor? Oh forget it. I have always been left confounded when it comes to defining what is he doing exactly. This guy, Saransh, was always there whenever beckoned, probably not because he was free (2 companies registered on his name, perhaps the busiest of us all lot), but because I used to tag along him for his work forays. I have no clue if I was helping him in any way but it was an interesting enough experience for me. The international book fair was great, perhaps we'll have a stall of Huma Books in their next edition. But the best was the treat at Big Chillz is Khan Market.
It cannot get any better than dining with a chef for a foodie. Thanks.

At other times, meeting up with other friends, long chats, television, pool, shopping, sleeping, family, and all the other shit that goes around took up my time. 19 days breezed by in a blink of an eye.

Coming close to a week now since I came back from my "holiday" at home.

I had no idea that a trip to India would work on my psyche the way it did. Its almost as if I have been rejuvenated.
Happy, Chirpy and Eager to work :P

Chao.

Off to India

2010-01-28T07:18:00.000+03:00

It has been 6 months since I got my 'first markings' done on my passport. And it feels especially good when the last one expired without any. It wasn't planned, but I did hope to get something on those blank pages this time. Not that the renewal process was any easy (had to jump into an ambassador, of all cars, for travelling between Pilani and Delhi, to get my police clearance done, bribing was still involved, sadly, all when the placement session was going on), still it did go through smoothly in the end, and i did end up stepping out of India.

You know the thing about the human nature, it always wants things. When I was 'stuck' in India (not in the literal sense, I mean, I <3 India), for well almost whole my life, I wanted to step out of India, and as soon as I make that leap, I want to get back. Queer, human nature is, but that is what is so amazing about it. If we were to get satiated easily, we would be living as nomads for sure.

So the call beckoned. You just cannot refuse when your mother and motherland both beckon you to come back. So here I am at Doha International Airport, waiting for my flight, to fly to Delhi via Dubai. Travelling with Emirates again,the coolest flight by far. Yup, the stopover at Dubai airport would be awesome, supposedly some shopping festival is also going on there at the moment, Lucky Me. Though I am pretty sure that I would end up buying nothing from the airport.

Part 2:
@Dubai International Airport
Dead tired. Each and every bone in my body says sleep. Still was roaming around for the past one and a half hours in the duty free area. Most of the stuff that one would really want to buy, or rather is worth buying, from the duty free area are not welcome at my home. So, here I am again, empty handed, back to blogging. There was this toy that caught my attention though. A guy doing hip hop. If only they could price it a litlle lower. 1500 INR for a a piece of plastic is to much to digest for my weak stomach. Anyways, DIA is a very hustling bustling kinda place. You will never get bored at this place, and it does take some of the tiredness away, as evident to me today.

Anyways, that's enough for now. My head has refused to cooperate with me any further, so I'd better give it some rest. Hoping to have a wonderful time at home. Be back on 15th Feb to Doha.

Chao