Because I Can

Index

2007-02-05T23:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the brand new homepage of my blog. Soon, there'll be a comprehensive about-me for those who don't know me. yet.For clarity and organization, the blog posts have been categorized into some broad categories. You could click below to read posts of a particular category:Travelogues: Beneath the MBA, the B.Tech, beneath it all, is a man of the road. I love travelling, esp on two wheels

Kedareshwar- Sun, Sand, Shivling!!

2007-02-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well, for starters, as I've recently moved to amdavad, social life besides campus friends and biker friends is pretty much dud. And Sunday in Gujju land is exclusively for family so this leaves our good ole man free to do what he does best - R I D E! :DGot done with the daily chores and then went off to Mirzapur, to get my bike the shiny new mudgard! Without a mudgard, the bike just makes a mess

Lè Incorrigiblè Rider climbs Idar, and explores Polo forest!

2007-01-22T01:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend was to be the weekend I shifted into my own place. As luck would have it, the renovation work took longer, and I found myself doing nothing.A colleague gave me the idea for a sunrise ride to a nearby temple on the banks of a river,with another temple just 10km offroad away. Sounded delicious, but Sat night, my junior, Anush calls up and says that he and Rameshan are riding to Idar.

Solo Thor Ride!!

2007-01-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

Gooood Morning Indiyeah!With my baby being delivered to me (my bike that is:P), on Saturday, Sunday was the day for a ride, however small. With everyone scared by Uttarayan and wayward kites, I pushed off to Thor. Here's the pics. Nothing much on the ride, except that i think i was a pretty boring/slow rider on the caliber - today's P180 Me wouldnt ride with the me that I was :D

Travails of a honest single north Indian homeless man in Gujju land!

2007-01-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

Ek akela is sheher mein aashiana dhuundta hai!That aptly sums up the travails that this honest single north Indian homeless man trying to rent an apartment in Gujju land has been facing!The funniest part of this place, is that (unlike Delhi), it is so full of hypocrisy that its not funny. Firstly, Gandhigiri has ensured that while alcohol has been officially brushed under the carpet, smoking is a

Rohtang Returned - the Triplog!

2006-12-19T22:57:00.000-08:00

"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood leads on to fortune..."- Shakespeare"There is a ride in the affairs of men, which taken at the snow leads on to memories of a lifetime..."- Yours untrulyAfter the failure of the Rabba ride, there had always been a nagging fear in my heart. A fear of heights, of daring to fly beyond the horizon, and over the passes.A fear that was

Ruminations

2006-10-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yess. This is the section where I speak, with malice to one and all. To reclaim my space, to speak my mind. Will be posting links to recent posts here.A Plea for Practicality (Sep 07 2006):Much ado about nothing really. About narrow sectarian interests who ridicule a national song to the debate about, whether nationalism is only by singing songs or is it one's own feeling. This post generated

Travelogues

2006-10-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is nothing but a collection of the travelogues I have done. What you will find below are links to some of the rides/travels I have been on:Munnar Magic (Oct 8-15 2006):October 8th was when I arrived back from UK. Straight away flew down to Chennai to travel further on to Tirumala, Madurai, Rameswaram, Thekkady, Kumarakom and Munnar before flying back on the 15th. Pics are up. Click the link

Munnar Magic!

2006-10-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

Well there was alott more than photography - but macro was my learning - learnt depth of field the hard way- will do it better next time as well as shoot with aperture priority too !! Comments desired and appreciated!Till then, ogle (was a hired car tour):Passion fruit:Wallpaper material: Wallpaper like stuff at the ram paduka temple in rameswaram:Wallpaper stuff from Periyar lake:NH49 earllly

How to crouch... actually for real ....

2006-09-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

How to crouch... actually for real .... ... or how to get out of the path of a runaway train, and such deep mystical truths, all courtesy our darkside [Jokes apart, this is our log of 200km short round trip to the river Ganges near delhi, at Garhmukteshwar - morning ride, photoshoot, good fun offroading and generally being

A Plea for Practicality!

2006-09-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone.Just woke up and saw the entire brouhaha over 'Vande Mataram'. To say the least, i'm completely ashamed of some of my countrymen. Here's things as I see it:- The song only has a couple of references to hindu gods. Its not something that's inherently against other religions. The overall theme is of freedom of the motherland, while invoking hindu mother gods.- Its a national

Rabba Ride Redux: Machine Mauled by Mountains :)

2006-08-19T01:08:00.000-07:00

Rabba Ride Redux: Machine Mauled by Mountains :)The pics first. And the gyaan log later!Here's the images, inline: Those lights are buses passing - jai night mode!and here is me walking back from a bridge. Mind you - mahindra pikups full of stuff would pass by that bridge everyone loves rabba rides sexyyyy curves near aut!sexier waterfall, again enroute to mandi!!In the aut tunnel. Those lights

This must be protested ....

2005-11-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

From Gaurav Sabnis' Blog:IOC official seals petrol pump, is killedManju was murdered for doing his job honestly. Considering the circumstances, this case is no different from that of Satyendra Dubey. But not a single TV channel has carried this news today. And except for the Express Lucknow edition, no newspapers have deemed it fit to report on the front page either. People always crib about how

Stuff that really needs to be blogged!

2005-10-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

http://indiauncut.blogspot.com/2005/10/question-of-principles.htmlHow low can IIPM (people/fans/... ) fall?Now it's cost a honest man his job:http://gauravsabnis.blogspot.com/2005/10/update.htmlWhat is this stupid world coming to? Either people can takechallenges to either improve themselves, prove they were right (comeout with impartial data) or throw mud on other people.It's sad to see IIPM

Would you ever be this gentleman?

2005-09-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

So many of us give up, give in to life. Let that spirit of adventure die. I was moved by this pic. This gentleman, all of 70 has *CYCLED* up to Khardungla. That is sheer determination, pure balls and will power, if ever there was any.Hats off to him.However, here's the point to ponder:At even half his age, would we have the enthusiasm and the drive to chase our dream, wherever it may take

The difference between great teachers and the rest ...

2005-02-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

is that with superb teachers, you study before class, because you want to.With others, you study in the exam, because you have to :)

Is it unreasonable to be reasonable ?

2005-02-11T23:55:00.000-08:00

This might be simply because I'm now at IIMA, not with the likes of Suchir, TOM among others. Or maybe its just a realization. Everyone knows that this is a dog-eat-dog world. One mustn't be too helpful/nice lest others take advantage. We all know the story!Now, today we played the Boat Building exercise. It's interesting how management games like these teach us deep lessons, if mulled over. The

On really ending procrastination.....

2005-02-04T04:34:00.000-08:00

"I've been meaning to write up on procrastination, why we do it, and more importantly how I've conquered it, but I just haven't got the time. I'll write it up as soon as I have some time on my hands. " That is exactly how life tends to become. Daily deadlines, reports, presentations, meetings, discussions, messages .. the list is endless. The formula is simple, yet we miss it. The solution is

Change, the Ever Constant ...

2005-02-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

Another philosophical post. There's something a B school does to a person. A deep analytical approach is one of them. Sometimes it makes you jaded too. because you break down your idols, look things in perspective, take things apart and put them back again. While that feels good, it sure takes away the magic of the moment. Today was a case in point. I'm back from a very inspiring yet

Enjoying the moment and Classical Music!

2005-02-02T11:24:00.000-08:00

I know this harks back to older posts .. still :P Today, I attended a performance by Pandit VishwaMohan Bhatt. Initially, it was pretty tough on my rock-oriented brain. I mean, what can one do when the music just seems to be stuck on the opening of an orchestra. Then, something happened. Fighting to make sense of the performance, I gave up and just closed my eyes. In those special moments it hit

Just another of those days ..

2005-02-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

When its ALL about to fall apart, and you can't wait for it to happen. Then, you know that the only way to go is UP :-) Every now and then, we have days when things just pile up. Deliverable after deliverable, deadline after deadline. Its quite natural to give in, to get paralysed, or to worry/stress, over/under eat. However, if you take one thing at a time, one SMALL BITE after another, *magic*

Of Co-incidences that happen....

2005-01-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

An interesting thing happened over the weekend. We had Chaos Jalsa - our annual cult fest. IIMA's answer to enhancing the lack of natural beauty on campus. There something I'd mentioned on a previous blog, just hit me in the face. :) On another note, I finally understood Greek theatre. Basically, you have the right highs and lows, and finally end in catharsis. Leaving the emotions spent. A

Of the Wife and the ex-Girlfriend.....

2005-01-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

Recently, I tripped down to Delhi. Sitting here in IIMA, I've often likened it to an arranged marriage. One that seemed nice intially, and s*cks to begin with. Over time, the more you experience it, the more you come to terms with it, and begin to realize its wonders, its pluses. Cut to December. The time had come to go to Delhi, and I was SOO excited to be where I believed I belonged. It was a

Of a Gujju sales man par extra-ordinaire:)

2004-12-18T08:01:00.000-08:00

Yessir, you read that right. Sales-man :P. Thing is, I broke my glasses today. Like the stupid fool, I can be, I bent over the sink to wash my face, and bang they slipped outta mah pocket, and hit the sink. Agonizing over getting it repaired in Delhi or Ahmedabad, wasted my afternoon. Then, I got a shock! I visited 6-7 opticians, and at 6pm, not one touched my specs because it was too late.

A journey of 310 miles .....

2004-12-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

.... begins with the first jog (and other short stories) Dishy-Pline This oft-abused word brings to mind, several childish images of working away in a classroom, or on a table, mugging away .. involved in mindless rote, or marching in army fashion, km after km. The ironic thing is, the magic ingredient missing from my performance in IITD was discipline. During my IIT preparation, it was the

Do the Diu!

2004-11-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

aka the mad rush across 1030kms of Gujarat in 53 hours ;-) This will be one long-ass post. Let's start at the start. In the not-so-distant past, there was a boy, a boy who was sitting for his summer placements. A boy who was raring to get out, to be out there, one with the elements, to be with his machine. Yet, WIMWI land, where he was, he seemed to be alone. For there were not many who

Updated: Thought for the WEEK!

2004-11-14T02:07:00.000-08:00

Repeat aloud, with passion: CAT is made for me to crack it. If not me, no one can :) The IIMs are crazy after me - they all want me as their student! I'm the MAN - the best there is, and will be! PS: Certifiably delusional, self-love never hurt anyone! PPS: Smile at yourself in the mirror. You're seeing the CAT God him/herself!! PPPS: Replace CAT with any exam/interview. Self-love always rocks!

Concise gist of people's problems I've noticed so far....!

2004-11-13T08:05:00.000-08:00

or why we're not a unique snowflakes...... ( i used to think I was!) Hey all, In my posting spree, I read up pagalguy forums, and some past urpercentile posts. What I did realize was that MOST queries can be classified into few basic issues: a. Time management - The exam is all about speed of decision. Either you choose to leave a question, or you're vacillating. The latter case happens to

Fight Club for MBA Aspirants!

2004-11-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

or how to clear CAT effortlessly....! (straight from the IIMA horse's mouth!) I was down at Career Launcher Ahmedabad, to meet my good friend Mohit. Genuinely swell fella. Runs the center here. While I was there, two of his students, Prakash, and another fellow, met me. You know, the average "let me speak to some IIMA fellow to know what to do" aspirant, ie another person looking for the magic

The Best Indian business school blog

2004-11-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

or how to Google your way to success.... The current (f)art on campus is The Poseidon Searchlight. This contest is all about elevating your blog to the much vaunted #1 Page Rank on Google. The challenge is to have your blog turn up as #1 when searching for "The best Indian business school blog". Given that the prize money is rather huge, I'm stuck for ideas on how to capitalize on this Kaun-test

Where in the World is Archie Andrews ....

2004-10-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

or what the hell I've been upto. Last week, it was Modhera. We stole a half day away from this labor camp, to run down to Modhera. For those who don't know, its a small rock temple dedicated to the Sun God. Actually, it has this jazzy pool with small mini garba grihas, and the actual temple's entirely rebuilt which leaves a sad impression. The thing with rebuilt architecture is that, no matter

Stretch Goals .. or the Power of Belief ...

2004-10-13T05:55:00.000-07:00

Prologue: This is another of my rediscovering-reality posts. Whiners may click the little X on top. Thanks :) Lately, we were involved in pitching for a certain project. Without involving in the details, let's just say we were plain misinformed. Hence, we were negotiating for an amount which was an order of magnitude higher than the correct figure. Yet, our belief in our worth was SOOO high,

All that Ramps must end ..

2004-10-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

And end it sure will .. our ramp parties that is. A fresh breath of manic sweaty dancing, from midnight to dawn, that brings IIMA alive. But it sure ends in style, a style of its own. Every ramp, there are a few songs that I vibe with .. songs which make me pause, take a breath and reminisce about the life that was .. about family, relatives, friends and ...... it always gets me thinking.

Theme for a dream ....

2004-09-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

I've been away recently. Exams happened, then a vacation. Delhi -> Shirdi -> Pune -> Mahabaleshwar -> Murud/Janjira/Kashid/Alibaug beaches -> Mumbai. In those days, it was like a whirlwind of experiences, and places. Like a whiff of fresh air, it came and went. Now, Im back in IIMA. Which gets me to the title change. I believe that the new title reflects my life more generally than the

Comments .. or Why Im so full of shit!

2004-09-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Comments are back. Play nicely. Management reserves the right to boot you at any time for any reason. Remember that you're a guest here at my blog, not someone grandstanding. This is not an open forum. There are basic terms of netiquette, I suggest you familiarize yourself with them. For starters, you could try leaving your name. So that there's no question: I

Another day, another morning .. another screwing!

2004-09-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

You know .. somewhere deep down inside, Im wondering if i know the meaning of time management, if at all. Its like 6am, just finished work on ID. Now studying for QM class, new topic tomorrow. Just wondering how time fucking flies. Soon, tripping in Maharashtra, but goddamn it, why cant I just manage time a little better? PS: or give up when others do? :)

Thank God for dear Free Riders ...

2004-09-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

or why working too hard can be good for you :) Over the past week, I've been going insane. Classes, tons of free riders who're just too pleased to second your ideas but not help, Dance classes, the gadzillion STD and local calls for the ID & HR projects, submissions, conflu calls, copywriting for Conflu site, typing for this blog, mailing junta, and tragedy with my lenses .... can be a little

Will the Real Slim Shady please Stand up ..

2004-08-31T04:08:00.000-07:00

Also known as .. Will the anonymous posters, please leave their names? Thank You :)

Seeing Through the Matrix ..

2004-08-29T03:51:00.000-07:00

It isnt like some big revelation or something. Its something i've gradually realized, over time. Most of us, we chose the Blue Pill, without thinking. Having been fed on media, environmental factors, families, peers and a society which encourages unquestioned conformance, and acceptance of certain beliefs. I'm coming to believe, that I'm choosing the Red Pill, not because Im a pretty snow-flake

Its another feeling when ..

2004-08-23T03:31:00.000-07:00

You go through alot of shit. Loads of crap happens despite your best efforts. Yet you keep a cheerful face, chin up among the whiners, and keep applying yourself. Then you dance for four hours at a ramp, stay up another hour till 6:30am for work. Work the Sunday off till 6:15am, and wake up at 8. Attend classes, give your bike for servicing (finally!!!), run after five banks, try for sponsors

Krabster ..

2004-07-30T03:20:00.005-07:00

... or how to get what you want, from anyone, anywhere! Well almost! There's a funny thing I've realized lately. Behind every really angry/heated discussion are two horribly insecure people. The moment you realize that, and give people space to save face, be heard, and acknowledge; magical things happen. You typically get away with more than you wanted in the first place ;-) I could

It always hurts the first time ...

2004-07-27T02:01:00.000-07:00

.. for most things ;-) Today was a day of several firsts. a. Today I overslept. Unlike usual, my padosis failed to rouse the demon sufficiently. :-( Had to miss the class. The repurcussions were handled in an IIMA specific manner :-) b. It RAINED. Like cats and dogs. Maan Im so fucking happy! c. I went out, drove like a maniac, post-lunch, about 20km in all, at insane speeds, in

The things that WIMWI, WAC, MAC do to men ...

2004-07-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

.. and to women! Today was another WAC run. After the unspeakable pain of a 24 page case analysis, duly finished in 1000 words, your hero had to run, and reach the class in time. And he did, but not before realizing how far he's come. From the heaven that was IIT, from the cradle that was DPS, and from the birthplace of his. Maybe, at times, the best part of growing old, is all the

To kill a mugging bird ..

2004-07-23T02:35:00.000-07:00

..... and rub it into the dust too! Also known as the art of scheduling quizzes, in the labor camp affectionately known as IIMA. Stupid jokes apart, the past week has just been killer. Last 8 working days .. 2 assignments, 7 quizzes later, we're on our wit's end. Oh, the WAC Run happens tomorrow. Too much junk to clear, sleep to catch before I try to understand, summarize, and analyze a 24

Random Insane Mumblings ...

2004-07-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

With all due dis-respect to Sidin ;-) As most of you know, I got my bike to Ahmedabad. Not for studies, dah! Freedom, it is. And driving on the Sarkhej highway @80kmph, I realized something from the film Maqbool. Life always has Shakti ka Santulan. Things always come to their natural state. Bikers will drive at 80kmph, torn ligaments notwithstanding. Shit will come at its own calling. The art

Tumhare daant to motiyon jaise chamak rahe hain ...... or another false alarm!!

2004-07-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

2 hours, 250 Rs and another false alarm later, I have some good news. My teeth are healthier than the average 21-something fellow :-) There'd been that dull pain in my teeth for about 2 days. Since I've paid some 10-15k already for Mediclaim in IIMA, the baniya-roomie inside me awoke ;-) Off I went for a filling. After playing drums on my teeth and gums for 10 mins, the doc gave up. She said my

I dont give a fuck ....

2004-07-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

I dont take one either, but thats irrelevant ;-) Its just the other day that I realized that my habit of not giving a damn, has evolved into a constant relaxation of thoughts. While this helps me stay calm among other nervous/excitable people, it also has other issues. Firstly, complacence. Majorly so. No worry, no fear to work. Enthusiasm's different but that comes in spurts ;-) Hence, Im

Why I will marry a doctor!

2004-07-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

.... if I ever will ;-) After yesterday's Superman incident, I visited the doctor today morning. The genial orthopaedic doctor proceeded to X-ray my hand and leg from every possible angle, and then showing it on some ghastly TV screen! 400 bucks and an hour later, I realized all was okay. That was when I realized my grandma's childhood insight .. that falling down only makes children grow

Alls well .. that ramps well!!

2004-07-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

attended my first ever ramp. Had a customary dorm party before that. Nice fun, all of us enjoyed some male bonding ;-)!! Anyhow, we reached the ramp a little too late, but not late enough to stop me from shaking my ass to all the songs. Felt good to be letting go and just jiving to the rhythm. Somewhere in the line of all the studies, life itself had lost a natural rhythm. mazaa aa gaya. This

Superman part Deux ... and the hairline!

2004-07-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

This might typically be Sidin like .. but life has a funny way of making painful things of the past seem like fun! It was March first year I think. Second AM110 quiz, a fatchha enthu.. running down on his cycle .. ends up flying in the air, and landing on a electricity pole. yessir .. that was me. I've never done a long jump that long .. but I did it that day. When I was finally extricated from

Religion, Hindutva, politics and other random insane mumblings ...

2004-07-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a excerpt from a post I found at Arnav's blog - A few Good men " ... to sum up there are two points that I want people to consider seriously. One, don't judge any party on the basis of whether it is secular or not, as none truly is. Two, and more importantly, don't get influenced by the media, and start believing that every thing Hindu is bad. Most of it is not. As with any religion. And

Run Gandhi Run ....

2004-07-10T04:12:00.000-07:00

Hey all, So much for life@IIM. Or lack thereof. After two weeks of just 1 quiz, we got our first REAL assignment. The WAC-ked one. Written Analysis and Communication, for the uninitiated. This is the mother of all courses. 1000 words of anal-ysis. No more, no less. The kind that we put a night out for, to write the first 2500, then the 2000, then the 1500, then 1200, and the last 100 take the

Its going to be a long night ....

2004-07-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

When its 3 am and not a word of the report has been written (Fear not, something happened in these 30 mins :)! And you have 2 more courses to study, and about 3 cases to solve and take to class. But you know you can sleep, because next week, its not your goddamned responsibility :-) Oh, and I got a phone connection in my room today. Yeaahhh!

Returned from Castle Wolfenstein ....

2004-07-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

8 hours of intense game play, unlimited cheat codes, god mode, and an engrossing story later, I've returned from Castle Wolfenstein .. ;-) Speaking of which, ye all needn't worry about me enjoying so much anymore. I've just uninstalled the damn game from my PC. Nothing like cheat codes and a free night to let you get rid of that niggling game. Oh, and thank God-ly for the LAN cord too :-)

And all's well .. that .....

2004-07-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Two hectic unspeakable days .. :-) Amazing treats we've gone out on, bonded with the 2s, had some amazing stuff happen, the kind that you remember for the rest of your life. Tomorrow morning, I will be saying hi to alot more people on campus. And, I'll be getting the phones soon enough. The LAN cord has also arrived :-) Sure feels good to be sitting on a comp line again, and be browsing at

KWeeezz.....

2004-07-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

Just some quick updates... a. Its 9:30am on a Saturday morning, and we've been given a 35 page case. This has to be analyzed and written by hand into a 4500+ word analysis by the night. 8:30pm to be precise. I envy you, all thee IIMC facchas. May you rot for all the decadence you are into... :-) b. 72 hours, 8 forms, and 6 club interviews later, I got none. Just one message. More often than

Zen and the art of arbit CP ...

2004-06-28T01:32:00.000-07:00

This entire place never ceases to amaze me. Be it the profs, who are living legends and know how to bring the class alive, deal with the most abstract and most simple questions at the same time, yet keep the class laughing .. Be it myself, and the others .. who somehow scramble to complete the course, even 20 mins before class time, and yet sleep too! And then, the CP boys, those who have

You know you're in IIMA when ...

2004-06-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

Its 5:30am on Saturday morning when you havent slept yet. The work is incomplete, and the 2s have a presentation at 7:20! Hence, you wake up at 6:30 instead. Alternatively, you could try to act macho like me, and not sleep instead. But doing a Quant problem at such ungodly hours can be an impossible task. Yours truly did succumb! Its quite a feat that I havent slept since then, and its 1:35pm

And just a little something I forgot ....

2004-06-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

D5 ka tempo high hai.. Baaki sab ki le li ----- -----!

Tempo shouts and other IIMA subtleties...

2004-06-26T01:10:00.000-07:00

What we had like a hostel slogan in IIMA (Neel Bulls, Jai Kara ki..), is now a "Tempo Shout" [Insert name here] ka tempo high hai, [Insert name here] ki le li, --- ---! This same thing is used by everyone for everything. :-) NO anti cheering. And NO abusing. Thats the surefire way way to catch a one way ticket to Delhi! Kinda feels disappointing, but what the heck..IIMA has enough studies to

You know its going to be a hard 2 years when ...

2004-06-26T01:03:00.000-07:00

... In the very first class, despite a 4.5 hour analysis, the case "solution" turns out to be entirely different from what you'd ever thought including practical and theoretical insights that you NEVER came close to considering ;-) Quite a humbling experience I must say. Oh, and this was a "prep" class, in which there was no grading on class participation, jab woh hoga to God S(h)ave me!

The chase is on .....

2004-06-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Starting with a welcome address of our Director, the eminent academician Prof Dholakia. The entire event was exactly an hour, starting with the custmary IIMA is great stuff. Yours truly duly fell asleep , only to wake up when the gentlemen began listing the disciplines and punishments that form a large part of our life in IIMA. As I reckon, its like this.. climbing a huge mountain. I've read

Walking a TightRope ...

2004-06-24T00:29:00.000-07:00

is what IIM A seems to be about. To be able to survive in this place, not only do you need to manage time but keep running. Just to stay in your position! Then, the discipline. never seen such ideas and strong implementation anywhere else. This place functions on the premise that we're responsible adults who follow the rules, and utilise the liberties. The slightest misstep, and there's not

Bole to ....

2004-06-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Munna Bhai is now at IIMA! After a gruelling 16 hour journey across the dusty lands of India, Munna Bhai reached Ahmedabad. But not before he paid off every whore that passes for a railway employee. In all, I ended up paying 1000 bucks to transport my bike instead of the official 400! Then, Ahmedabad traffic is amazing. Simply takes your breath away. Vaat lag li re! All single roads, no

Hmm, all's well that seems to be ending well

2003-07-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

Firstly, the code seems to be tying up. After a forgettable day of sheer panic, I see light at the end of the tunnel. My dear professor was rather enlivened on hearing of the mess. He took some prompt action, and the finance lady will give me the finished finance papers on Monday 9 am. Let us see :) Serious sigh of relief.

I can't believe this is happening ....

2003-07-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

I just recieved some really shitty news. My dear admin person is on holiday for today and tomorrow. No that doesnt surprise me. Not a bit. I knew beforehand. But I had waited like a jobless bum outside his office yesterday with the sole purpose of catchin him and extracting a promise, that he will complete my papers and leave them for the finance lady to process, and make the payment sheet. No

Bwahhhaaahhhhhh

2003-07-25T00:18:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. This is officially dead, but I need a place to whine and to bitch. Hence this post. The reason is simple. I had borrowed a friend's bicycle to save transportation costs in the last week and to avoid buying the weekly train ticket(14.5 Eur). But today I was riding my bicycle on the wrong pavement(just to save 2 red lights, nothing else), and got myself ticketed. Oh, and I always do

Time to take a bow???

2003-07-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

Don't know how it came into my mind. Maybe the work, maybe it was time, or god knows why. I see precious little reason in blogging anymore. I am tired of fighting the fires around me. I have no patience left to post details of my life anymore. This is it, unless something BIG convinces me otherwise. Khel khatam paisa hazam. ~~~The End~~~ *takes a bow*

KLM well and truly sucks ..

2003-07-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Just had to get this out of my system. KLM is the most pathetic airline I have seen. I have dealt with IA, tried calling Lufthansa and RyanAir. Even though RyanAir has a 0190-number. You talk to an operator in 5 seconds flat. KLM .. NEVER before 70 cents. These people are thieves and bastards of the highest order. Since Thursday, I have spent 30+ euros. I am at my wit's end. Wish I could unleash

This one JUST cracked me up .....

2003-07-21T03:36:00.000-07:00

I rather like Italy. I LOVED it infact. But, this thing is AWESOME, to say the least! Europe vs Italy comparison Europe here means awesome countries like Germany.

Lastly, its not me, its YOU!

2003-07-21T03:05:00.000-07:00

This is something I have noticed OVER and OVER again. In all of us, me, you, everyone. We rarely look inside for our faults, and spend time needling others. As an example, people who think that their kinda music is suitable to be played in the office while other music isnt. Who think that the smell of Indian masala doesnt belong in the office, but the smell of their own stinking burnt coffee does

Mere saamne waale room mein ..........

2003-07-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

ek nahin DO chaand ke tukdhe rehte hain. These chicks just shifted in. Reasonably cute ones. When you have a shared toilet, and each female takes half an hour for a bath and 20 minutes to set her hair, the scheduling can get rather screwed. That being said, the pre-bath and post-makeup faces were AMAZINGLY different. Maybe our IITD chicks might look cute after all, albeit under a layer of makeup.

Firstly, the mandatory update ..

2003-07-21T02:55:00.000-07:00

I just got a look in on the *pre*-contract which is typically done 14 days before the start of work, and also the final contract. It still has to pass through alot of desks. I just hope to take the money back with me. OTOH, having filled the docs in, I cannot find the admin guy. ARGGGH!!

No matter where I go .......

2003-07-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

This just came into mind, cause I remembered a buddy from Rome, Iliyah. He has struggled through life to get where he is. He said one thing that stuck with me, that no matter how long he lived abroad, he would always come home, to die in the place where his forefathers rest. Ever since coming to Europe and travelling, I have thus realised another thing. No matter how much I talk of GRE, leaving

OMG, I just had to put this in ...

2003-07-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

Firstly the comment by the lady herself : " Nice observation. a. Funnily I have only come across humble, gentle, simple Indian ppl who would give wide grin when u give them little smile. Who would invite you to their homes and build life long friendships when you just say Hi to them. b. May be those Indian chicks have their attitudes built on their past experiences. There still are fresh out of

Finally, on us stupid Indians ...

2003-07-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Did I ever crib about this? What I have realised is this: You can find Indians of three categories. a. The humble modest hardworking but very helpful people who are nice to have around, and are rather helpful. One of these, Iliyah was my guardian angel in Rome. Mrs. Paranjpe and her son, reminded me that I should have planned in advance and shown mom around europe. b. The Indian chicks, esp the

Then on the money madness

2003-07-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

This thing is actually becoming something of the sort of a joke. Seriously. Yesterday, the venerable gentleman informed me that the paperwork (which I have been running around for long to get a glimpse of) was an online document. Alas, he could not find that too :( So now, I will see further on Monday how things and the money situation develops.

Firstly, the mandatory update ..

2003-07-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Yeah Yeah, I know you all would like to hear about the Rome adventure, but I just dont have the time to write anything besides code, and go clubbing :) As of now, the code seems to be working fine and I am tying up most loose ends. The only problem being that the loose ends are rather numerous and they are VERY loose! The KLM bastards are looters. If you are a KLM employee reading this, screw

There is a god after all ....

2003-07-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

Three days, 250 euros , Rome Venice and Bologna, a near air crash, almost getting mugged, 3 rolls of film, whirlwinding through the cities, surviving the longest night and learning the hard realities of life later, I'm actually wiser. For the record, there is a god up there, and his guardian angels are down here. So much for all of this, got a demo. Hit me with comments if you want ze details!

Reality fantasy and such crap ....

2003-07-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

Just about to reach a sorta milestone in my simulation. Don't ask me what. I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you. Its *TOP* secret you see :) This brings me to a pearl of wisdom I just spouted in a mail: "Fantasy is easy to create, its reality that's the bitch!" Now, I am REALLY not posting anymore. Relax :)

Higher, and then some more ...

2003-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is unbelieveable. In the morning, the hit count above was in the 220s. Its nearly 3 now, and the count shows 1000+. Christ. Plus, this damned blog doesnt turn up on any search engine. I only show it off in my status or signatures. Something is fucking fishy. The counter tracks unique page views only. NO refreshes. *sigh* As if my work wasnt hectic enough. Having said that , time to get

You know you're really bored when ...

2003-07-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

a. You check every five minutes to see if your movie download has completed. b. You surf blogs, find a really depressing one, and EVEN reply to them. c. Your work finishes unexpectedly fast :) d. You actually end up blogging this crap. Time to go out and restore some sanity into my head!

Slurp, before i forget ....

2003-07-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

Christ, I almost forgot to tell this ... yesterday I went on a grand shopping spree of 4.68 euros. Besides bread, sauce, french fries(1kg!), gudh, tomatoes and juice, the piece de resistance was 800gm tin of Pachranga Achaar. Yessir, the REAL thing, From Panipat. Life ki feeling aa gayi. Donno which commercial, but there was one which ended in "aa jaaye maa ki yaad" Mujhe to aa gayi ma ki yaad,

Shooting yourself in the foot

2003-07-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

Just read this article. Scary stuff. And then this article And they still can't catch Bin Laden and company! When did I last hear "guided missiles, misguided men" :)

Flying by the seat of my pants ....

2003-07-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

There's another thing I noticed lately. Up close and personal. Its what I call: "5 year olds walking around in 30 year old's bodies". People might grow up, have kids, etc etc. But they still do not learn on an emotional level. Deep down inside, they still yearn for the comfort and security of burying their heads in their mom's laps. They have this constant neurotic refusal to see the world for

With malice towards one and all: Boring people, truths, half truths and living it up ......

2003-07-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

I had a convo with a net frd yesterday. She is one of those typically dullheaded chicks who are bored out of their minds. All that she ever has to talk about is:"hi how r u?" or some equally lame shit. OTOH, my life is quite full of escapades and interesting things. Not as much as I noticed under the aegis of a demigod. Usually I waste alot of time telling her all the shit, while pretending NOT

Being busy ...

2003-07-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Just about to leave da office. Was chatting with my sis. I just realised another funda. If you're just wasting time, you never have enough for anything. when you become more planned, and think in advance, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Lately, the busier I've become, the more calmer things are in my life. Planned, like clockwork. Oh, but I still sleep 10 hours when I sleep on the bed

For the curious ones ....

2003-07-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

Lest you think that this is at the expense of work, lemme re-explain. I come to work usually at about 7-ish. Why? Lastly, to check the stability of my sims, I let them run about 5000+ iterations. Which gives me time to sneak in small updates like these. Oh phuck, that damn simulations just given a NullPointerException. Be back later.

And your opinion is?

2003-07-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

Heya people! Welcome to the new-look, updated and commentable weblog. Hope y'all like it. Drop in, give your feedback, and Leave Your Mark! lol. Non-IITians will NOT get this joke :) Time to get down to work. On a side note, the RAID module is working fine. Time to optimize it and write the NIC. Onward.

Money and related stuff update ...

2003-07-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

By the way, I am yet to see a glimpse of the contract which I'm supposed to be having. Whoever wrote of Administratium knew his shit. PS: The admin guy has posted the same Administratium page on his door. Great minds think alike :)

BDSM = Bahut Dekha Sab Moh Mayaa .............

2003-07-10T02:30:00.000-07:00

For the naive, who have no idea, Click here before you whine. Well, it all started back last evening when I decided to go clubbing on a dead Wednesday night. Firstly, I didnt check the music that was playing. I land up at Schwimmbad which seems deserted, pay the usual 1.5 euro entry fee. Guess what? its independent/metal/blah nite. So what you have there are : a. GAY Goth dudes. Eww. These were

Open to the public now ...

2003-07-09T04:03:00.000-07:00

I have just updated this to be a public blog. Let's see. Time for some full scale media whoring. :)

Innocence lost .........

2003-07-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

Just today,I was travelling in the train when a group of 6-8 yo kids piled in. What really struck me was the maturity on their faces. Hell, I would never have talked like them even at 15. It seems innocence has been lost somewhere in this jet age. When we were kids ........... Maybe, I have it all in reverse. Who knows whether we were much more innocent and stupid than these kids are. It isnt

It passes ...

2003-07-09T01:10:00.000-07:00

Everything passes, moments, moods, places, times and people. On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to Zero. -- Narrator, "Fight Club" Nuff said.

Happy Married Life Uru!

2003-07-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hey Uru, As I write this, Uru is getting married. More than the pain of seeing a cousin married off, it is the realization that we are no longer kids. No longer the son of my father, but Mr Hitanshu Gandhi. Marriage for us Indians is an expression of this coming of age, of stepping into another way of life. It is a certain sadness that pervades me this evening. My heartiest wishes go out to you

Art of War ...

2003-07-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Mindblowing shit. That wrinkled old dude knew his stuff 2500 years back. Not just warfare, it applies as well to any interpersonal situations. Right up there in the must read list with 48 Laws of Power , which is life changing.

250 Euros and two days later, Im none the wiser.

2003-07-08T01:55:00.000-07:00

"Bete, chahe paise extra lag jaayen, switzerland to ho ke hi aana." These fateful words of my mother seem like a cruel joke. I wasted 4 fricken days to get the Swiss visa in Delhi. IMNSHO, the people at the Swiss embassy in delhi are a stupid set of jokers. The Germans are wayy better anyday Switzerland was nothing like the heaven junta had made it out to be. Seriously. I have seen more

This just made my day!

2003-07-06T23:58:00.000-07:00

A friend just mailed me this karaoke link. Seriously amazing stuff. PS:Working for a demo now. Will update with news from shit-wizzer-land soon!

Old Wine, new Bottle ...

2003-07-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

As you can see above, I have put up a Visit Counter by bCentral. Same old blog. Now I know how many people actually see , and how many don't!! Its raining off and on, but it sucks to be the ONLY person bheego-ing in the rain. None of the delhi waali wet tarmac bike racing! *Shrug* I gotta go and prepare for Switzerland!! Music Recommendation: IIT Songs Lovely stuff. Makes me nostalgic every

I give up.

2003-07-04T03:01:00.000-07:00

I really do. I have no idea how to make media-illiterate power users check my blog despite putting it in my sig AND telling them to see it. Grr. For those interested, my cash balance stands at 600.49 euros. I now have my entire gents stuff replenished, and have phone cards to call mom. I still have to PACK. No ideas on that as yet!