Out for Dinner

Category: Food Mood: Exploratory
Last week I had a chance of going out for dinner with a friend of mine. The moment I say the word dinner what are the thoughts that instantly come to your mind ? I'm sure itwould be "Pizza Hut" or some hep shops in one of the few thousand malls that have "engulfed" your city! The ones that have exotic names for their dishes and by the time you are through with your starters you have already burnt a couple of hundred bucks.

The place I visited was neither in some "happening mall" in Pune nor was it a place to "chill out" and "check out" babes. It was a small non-descript place in Sadashiv Peth called Baadshahi(As you walk across the street you need to keep your eyes open else you might just miss it). There were no "glass doors" no one at the entrace to wish me good evening as I walked in. There was no light music playing or chandliers and curtains to setup the ambience. Infact there was nothing that you would associate with the "modern" world.

Yet it was an absolutely brilliant place. The moment I entered the place, it transported me back a few decades. Traditional notice boards (all written in Marathi) welcomed me. I got my prepaid coupons and waited in the queue. As the demand far exceeded the supply (no of people > no of seating places) a guy took our names and wrote it neatly with a chalk on a small slate that he had (again in marathi). After about 5 minutes he called us in and we were seated on a bench (arrangement similar lunch @a South Indian wedding).

The food was nice..The food was hot....Plain and simple roti & sabji along with "unlimited" buttermilk. No paneer shanner, garam masala and everything one associates with north indian cooking. (Not that Im against it, its just that I have had enough of it). All for 40 bucks! Infact the food and the ambience was so simple that the Crossword bag that I had in my hand seemed a bit out of place !!!!

The dinner was followed by a walk in along the area to soak in the tradition and culture of the place known as 'Pune gaon'. Rich in tradition and history. Again no high rises, no fancy apartments....More about it later......Who needs malls ????? Atleast I don't

Saas-Bahu serials, reality shows and T-20 cricket competing for TRPs might be a thing of the past. If you check the statistics for the last one week, Im sure the top 10 "most-watched" programmes would be televison channels; bringing to our drawing rooms "ball by ball" account of the terror attacks in Mumbai. Now after 60 odd hours of gun battle its time for analysis, more analysis and even more analysis.....Corporate India's leading businessmen, who till yesterday were discussing about the interest rate cuts that they badly needed to give a boost to the economy are today discussing ways and means to handle terror! Not to mention socialities, Page 3 celebrities...everone has their own solution............While all of this was going on, there was one anchor who stood out for me. Always presenting his stories in a crisp, concise manner, no hype, hooplah, no raising of his voice..Someone who keeps it simple and yet makes it very receptable - Srinivasan Jain (Vasu) of NDTV. His style of journalism and news broadcasting is definitely a lesson for the others.

One last time.......

Ah! finally got to watch some test cricket. Agreed that not everything was perfect about that the recently concluded India-Aus test series. Slow over rates, flat belters, 500+ totals, expert comments from 'L Sivaramakrishnan' are not exactly something that sets your pulse racing ! Still there were patches of brilliance that more than made up for it.

I made it a point to catch the action whenever possible, but there was one thing I did religiously. Whenever Dravid came out to bat, I used to switch of the television.Why? Cos I was tensed. I wanted him to perform. (His extended run of poor form in test cricket was baffling. Mind you if he averages 35 he is said to be out of form !! Those are the standards that he has set.) It pained me to watch Dravid have another lean series. I just could'nt understand how "the wall" could crumble brick by brick.
My very first memory of watching Dravid bat was way back in Toronto in 96 when he played a couple of match winning knocks on difficult pitches. ( I could'nt watch his 95 at Lords cos of the usual cable television blackout prior to an important series!). I vividly remember my brother telling me that this guy has class. What started thereafter was a journey – a journey where Dravid was the architect of all overseas test victories. Leeds, Adeliade, Johanesberg, Multan – green tops, bouncy tracks, rank turners, flat belters – he performed on all of them. Dravid was “pitch agnostic”. The amount of runs he scored was never a function of the surface that was provided to him by the curator. Not many liked his style of batting. People said he was too slow, he was boring. In this age where one night stands and slam bang boom boom words like “patience” and “perseverance” were considered an old school of thought. But for purists like me his batting epitomizes life in many ways. Grit, determination, fighting spirit and concentration. If you ask me to pick an all time test team the first thing I will do is put Dravid at 3. For sheer contribution to India’s overseas success I rate him higher than Sachin. I just hope he can have one magical series again – before he calls it a day.

Just a few hours back I wrote that I cant think of a topic to write and here I am..ready with a new blog ! So what changed during the last few hours. Well nothing much, just had a plate of pani puri from my new found favourite joint called Tip-Top located at Thane station. The beauty of eating pani puri there is that he serves it chilled ! Reminds me of the chilled pani puri I used to eat at Julelal (in Mulund) followed by hot gulab jamun...Gosh..that was years back.....

The buzz word today is enterpreneurship.

1) The Indian economy seems to be slowing down but Adi Godrej feels that India would continue to grow because we have a tremendous 'enterpreneurial' spirit.
2) Every B School today has either an elective in 'enterpreneurial' management or have set up 'E'-cells.
3) Everyone wants to quit his/her job and start his own venture. (I want to let my E-spirits flowing!!)
4) They say in the long run India would do better than China..ya you guessed it right, because the 'E' thing is more ingrained in us.

The other day I was wondering how I never came up with a B Plan during my 2 years of schooling. It was then that I realized that I never came up with a plan (on paper), neither didI 'work the numbers', but yes I actually have experience in starting my own venture and running it successfully. Way way back..I was in Class 6 then !

I can't recollect if it was the winter or summer break. But what I distinctly remember is that we used to have excellent soft ball cricket matches during the day, spread over two sessions. We used to play from 10.00 am to around 12.30, then break for lunch and then reassemble at around 5 in the evening for the second session. The interval was used for rest, recuperation and some reading. While our post match discussions where the talks would initially be about some shot that could have been played better or some catch that was spilled it would eventually end with discussing which book we were planning to read during the break. (Predominantly Tinkle, Chandamama, Hardy Boys etc).

It was during one such discussion that we came up with the idea saying 'Why dont we start our own small library?" . We had the most thing required to start a library - BOOKS. If we could lend books to people for an x amount per day and keep it running for the duration of the vaccation we could end up with a decent amount. So the three of us came together to take this idea forward. It was a grand success and I remember we ended up collecting some 200 odd Rs (which was huge)
Trying to reflect on some of the key things that helped us make this venture successful.

a. Complementary product offerings: Two of us had a lot of books and the best part was there was hardly any overlap. My forte was English books (quick reads and a collection of Tell Me Why types) while the other one (lets call him V) had a similar collection of Marathi books. (Which was very important since a lot of students in Thane still preferred reading books in their mother tounge, which was Marathi).

b. Place: The third guy (lets call him 'W') provided the ideal location for the library. His house was in the ground floor and we used his balcony to display all the books. His building was also strategically located, people passing by could get a glimpse of what was on offer. Every morning we used to arrange/rearrange the books to ensure that the display was perfect, before heading out for our cricket match.

c. Promotion: The time interval between the idea striking us and the actual launch was I guess 2 or 3 days. We got together, decided a name for the library, designed a huge banner (all home made, we did not get VC funding !!! ). We called it TimePass Library. One gentleman who was passing by stopped and asked us to play loud music the day we were planning the launch. He said, this would attract a lot of initial attention which was crucial for the success. We were too young to understand the management principles behind these, but did it as we felt it would work! And ya it did.

d. Price: We priced our books beautifully. You could walk in the morning, pick up a copy of the latest Tinkle for Rs 2/- read and return the next day. After the initial few days we knew which were the fast moving ones and based on that readjusted the time for which customers could keep the books with them. There were also some books which were very expensive. We did not allow the customers to take it along with them, but asked them to sit there and read.

Everything mentioned above is 100% true. I can recall the goodwill it generated in the society with everyone chipping in with ideas. We had a notebook where at the end of the day we used to calculate our turnover !

Somehow, somehow in the hustle-bustle, hurry-burry life, I had forgotten this incident. Today I can easily say that it stands out as one of the highlights ! If..if I decide to start a book store of my own, I know I have something to reflect and look back on. !

My last post was 4 months back. Does not mean that I was terrifically busy, but just that never felt like logging in and writing. Infact this is the first time in 4 months that I opened my blog ! The only thing to write about in the last 4 months has been the convocation experience. Before we knew it came and it zoomed by and I was back in office ! Still waiting for something inspiring, could be a thought, an idea, something I see while commuting to workplace..something to strike....Else...struggling to think about something to write .....................

The Week That Was.............

That was one heck of a week ! " Kya load tha yaar "....When we hear such statements, its usually in the negative connotation. But for me, it was the opposite...

I had one of a week, a week which gave me moments to feel proud that I am part of this institution. Hearing the Director and the distinguished alumni speak, gave me goosebumps. It made me realize the value of my education. The distinguished alumni awards was one program I liked the most. They were winners from different walks of life; each of them having won numerous awards. But all of them said the same

" There is nothing like coming home and being recognized".

That moment was awsome......and will standout.

I strongly believe that our batch has a few people who are capable and if I may stick my tounge out, will win this award in a few years time.

(It would take anywhere between 15 to 20 years, but it would happen, You can call this as my Intution and like many of my other ones, this will come true !!! )

This was a week where I ate a lot of PBMs (Paneer Butter Masalas). Invariably ate out everyday and PBM was always on the menu. A week where I went to SAC for one last time to attend a formal function. It was so fitting that this was the best ever I have seen @SAC. The Pampa night had us all in splits!! The Mujra dance!!!

This was a week where I sat down at the beach staring at the moon while the waves were roaring (dono of a much more brilliant sight), where I went on a long walk in the beach. The informal farewell gave me a chance to do so. A week where we rocked the dance floor, again for one last time.

This was a week where I heard my HOD and profs speak in a public forum, for one last time and invariably my eyes got wet. All of them stressed on the importance of ethics in life. When our HOD referred to 'coming back to your home', I immediately connected it with what the distinguished alumni award winners said !.......A week where Mystik Musings gave their last public performance and a week where we sang 'On a Cool Summer Morning...' for one last time !!

A week where

I laughed................,

I joked..................,

I took a lot of pics.....,

I "chulled" (yes, this word is the latest addition to the Oxford dictionnary),

and when no one was watching, Silently shed a few tears..................

A Week that I'l remember for a lifetime....

FINAL EXAMS!!

Just a week to go before my 'Final Exams'. I was sitting back this afternoon and thinking about it. Yes, these are indeed my FINAL exams. I would never enter an exam hall again in my life ! Would never have to go to the shop, the night before my exams to buy a reynolds ball pen!(Unless I plan to pursue a doctorate, at a much later stage, which looks highly unlikely). I just couldnt believe it.

Exams ! This word has stayed on with me for such a long time. In the very early stages of school, I used to go and write down what I had learnt at home. Never understood the significance of exams. I distinctly remember two things. Mom said, don't show your answers to others and also don't ask others if you don't know. And I used to carry a lot of pencils and erasers in my double decker pencil box !

Exams were always an enjoyable process. School had plenty of them. Unit test 1, mid semester, unit test 2, final exam......Who can forget the anticipation and the countdown for the exams to end, both before Diwali and more so before the summer vaccations ! How do I spend my vaccations? The plannning would start a couple of weeks before the exams started. The day the last exams got over, rush home; and go to play without even removing our school uniforms.

Then the phase where exams started taking on a new meaning. Enter the era of competitive exams. We no longer competed within us, but on a pan India level. I would definitely say that the enjoyment levels went down drastically. It became too mechanistic ! I never enjoyed my engineering papers; somehow felt that they were an extension of rote learningl with no emphasis on fundamentals.

That is where I liked some of the exams at IIT. If not all, some of the papers were extremely sastisfying. Prof CRs OR and TQM papers which made me think...Prof Thillai who made sure we used our brains evertime ! It got back the enjoyment process in exams. And that is something I really liked.

Exams ! This five letter word has now lived with me for 27 years. I am going to cut myself off from something so close to me ! Does it hurt ? Yes it does. As I close my eyes, I feel I have done reasonably well, but this is something I would miss forever. Workplace might have appraisals and say that it is the equivalent of exams. Your performace rating is like the grades ! But I think it is not. We cant even compare. They are miles apart. For me an 'S' grade in a course or a 19.5/20 in an 8th standard Geography paper is something that I would still value most !

I have a collection of all my report cards, right from the nursery I went to. Would add my IIT grade sheet to it. There is an emptiness in the heart, but the files containing them would certainly look complete...................

Perspectives

“Can you please wait for 5 minutes Sir; your dosa would be ready”……
“Excuse me Sir, here is your chilli parotha, you may collect your spoons from the table”.

Do these statements ring a bell? For someone like me who had made Tiffanys their second home, the answer is, a definite YES. He was always there; he made it a point to provide excellent service to all his customers at any point during the day. Be it early in the morning around 7 am when Tiffanys has just opened shop or late into the night. You would find the same level of enthusiasm in him. I can recall so many instances where after ordering a dish, I would be yapping away with junta and then he would personally come over to the table and say ‘ Sir; please collect your paneer dosa, its ready!’ I never asked him what his name was; but I always observed him; and his enthusiasm.

Cut to my daily mode of transportation: My cycle. It has been one of my greatest lifelines during my stint here. . This brings me to the second person whom I would like to talk about. En-route to the Taramani gate is a small shop (I should say tiny) where you find a person repairing numerous cycles throughout the day. So what? Isn’t that his job? He is not an ordinary person. He is differently-abled. Here is a person who cannot speak, still managed to find a way to work around it, and in fact excel in it. There were several occasions where I would get a whole lot of work done on my cycle and would think ‘I would pay him Rs 10 for that’. And then he would signal with his hand ‘3’. Talk about consumer surplus!

When I’m not at Tiffany’s or at hostel, I could be spotted at our very own DoMS Lab. Assignments, group work, browsing, chatting…you name it, we have done everything here. In this very lab, I noticed a research scholar pursuing his Ph.D. What is so special about him? Again, he is differently abled. Almost everyday I used to watch him come to the department and work in the lab. I always used to wonder if I should lend a helping hand (showing the way etc). But something inside me said ‘No’. It is about his independence. I used to watch him, working away on his personalized computer; the level of dedication was awesome.

Watching all three of them in close quarters made me wonder, what keeps them ticking? What motivates them? How are they able to maintain the same level of enthusiasm and commitment? Contrast it with our lives. So many assignments, so much work, this doesn’t happen, that doesn’t work…So much to crib! Don’t they get frustrated as we do? We find that in our case small issues put us off. We need higher pay, we need recognition, we need awards and so on. That’s what drives us. What about them? How do they manage? How does it feel to get up next morning knowing that you have to do pretty much the same thing you did last night; but still try and do it better and with a smile on your face? I guess it’s the perspectives that they have towards life.

In these three people I found something unique; a common thread: An attitude towards life that shames the highest possible ambitions with its innate simplicity. These are people who have taught me a lot about life. They have taught me that it’s not the nature of the work that matters; it’s the way you do it that does. They have taught me to give my 100% to whatever work I have been assigned. They have taught me that limitations can be overcome; that I need to keep the same level of motivation always and that I need to have the right ATTITUDE towards life.

There were occasions when I felt that I was not getting where I should have. At these times I drew inspiration from these people. This wonderful institution has helped me redefine my perspectives. It is not only about achievements and awards; it is people with the right attitude. ……The rest would follow.

Life Post December

Life always seems to work in extremes. At one end you have work load, too much work, work pressure, all assignments to be done, several reports to be written, deadlines to be met...GOD ! Why is it so hectic? Why should I do all the work? "I need a break" !

This thought has crossed my mind several times, during the last two years. (Pre - December). My last year at TCS and my first year at IIT, were probably the most hectic phase I can think off. I don't think the concept of weekend existed (in practice). Sundays were spent either in office (It didnt help that I lived 10 min from my workplace or working on some assignment/ preparing for some quiz / reading some business magazine @IIT). At IIT, I used to take the Sat evenings off, a walk in Besant Nagar beach to unwind....

Cut to my life post December and more importantly post Feb. Absolutely nothing to do! Yes, I wanted to enjoy my last few days here, have fun... But then I have never felt so "jobless" ever. There are times when I dread to go back to my room, thinking " What will I do there" ?

I happened to discuss about this topic during my regular "chai-trips" ( I say, chalo chai peete hain, but end up having coffee ! ) with my friend. What came out was that we have become rusted ! Pre December the mind was sharp and we could think on our feet. But now, we hardly think. Yes we have had our share of fun, but then the level of "intellectual stimulation" has gone down to zero. We no longer read the paper, business magazines seem like greek and latin, forget about books !

We just hope that the this period is just an abberation and we get back to the good habits cultivated during the first 18 months of our stay here ! It is vital and essential....
For the ones who are contantly thinking and reading are the ones who are happy !

Just having a few rough days ! Suddenly losing temper, getting bored, irritated..out of the blue.

Today, when it rained...poured infact and people were taking shelter under the trees and all possible areas available in the KV grounds, I chose to run ! Ran all the way took my cycle and sped away !..It was an awsome feeling..No raincoats, no umbrellas for protection...Just me, trying to beat the wind..beat the rain and reach my destination. It was an awsome ten minutes cycling through some areas of the campus and finally going back to my hostel.

The sound of the rains, the sight of greenery the feel in the air.....MAGICAL!! Something that made me feel much better ! I guess there is too much power in nature. Its just that I don't give enough time to it . Is it just nature that I'm ignoring or is it that I'm not giving enough time to things that I had thought I would ???

The Trip..........................................(Feb 29th - Jan 4th 2008)

Im on a writing spree today. Wrote some testimonials, then a blog sometime back...This is my second blog of the day. this is a bit different from my previous postings. In most cases it has been some incident that has triggered a stream of thoughts which I immediately pen down. Some subjects have been been abstract and some very heavy.

But this one is special.

Its different.

Its about my class trip to Wayanad in Kerala.

It is different for other reasons. Its different beacuse here I am narrating a story..For a change, I would mention names. I would be explicit. Its high time I did. I am narrating a journey....

Stage 1: It all started of on the 9th of Jan when Gopal sent out this mail to the class

Hi All,

As you might know, a class tour being is being contemplated for the second years in the near future. Would need few organizers for this. Interested folks please reply asap.Offer valid till opportunities last. :-)

Suddenly the discussions in the mess was about the places where we could go. Each one coming up with their own choices. While this was going on silently the TOCO was being formed. Gops along with RBI and Rahul were having discussions about the possible choices. They were looking at various perspectives, logistics involved, permission from the department, rescheduling of examinations, speaking to the HOD. The work had already begun.

Stage 2: A class meet is held where they make a presentation and state that they have zeroed in on Wayanad in Kerala and reasons for the same. Oh.............Goa Goa Goa..the class erupts. It gets a bit uncontrollable. In the end we disperse hoping to reach for a consensus.

What follows is a survey where everyone is asked the places which they would like to visit, any place where they would not come etc etc ? Less than 50% of the class were ready for Wayanad.

There were a couple of mails like this one from TOCO...

Please find attached the excel sheet which contains the names of those coming for the MBA 2008 class trip to Wayanad. This list is collated based on the mail responses received so far. We shall wait for further additions till 5 PM today evening post which we would freeze the names.

No improvement ! The response kind of struck me.

Was'nt this a class trip ? I thought to myself. A class trip is where you go together as a class, enjoy, after all this is an opportunity that comes once a year. And for us this is our last year !. I guess I was wrong. At this stage everyone had their own perspectives. I strongly believed that the place was immaterial, its the people that mattered. But I guess I was wrong !.

Step 3: Tour in doubt ?

The number was 30; but still it was'nt stable. Over the next couple of days there were pull outs, speculations, rumors floating around. Would the tour get cancelled? What if more people drop out ? Would the overhead costs increase ? Would it throw all the budgets upside down ?

No, it would'nt. We got a reassuring mail from the TOCO team, that the tour was on !

Hi All,
Wayanad yathrayilekku swagatham !!!If you are wondering if the tour is still on with some of these dropouts, be assured we are going to Have fun -On time & On budget.

Step 4: The tour kicks off !

The final number is 22 !...22 people who believed we could have fun..22 people who believed that Wayanad was the best place to go....We left on the 29th of Feb. We had the priviledge of travelling by the insti bus upto the Cental Railway station. As soon as we got in the fun had begun! Click click..clickk...fotos......The train arrived an hour late. But who cared ? Some of us got into the Shatabdi that was standing in the nearby platform and chillaxed in the AC while some decided that this was the best time to play cards ! I must mention that something that was constant throughout was the click..click..click........

Stage 5: The train journey

When was the last time I got into the mood for singing ?

When was the last time I sang for hours and hours?

Long long ago. I remember my trips during my TCS training days where I had a fundoo group and we used to sing..sing..sometimes thru night during our journeys. This was something like that. We sang songs of almost all genres, and before we knew someone came over and said 'Please can you sing a bit softly". A quick look at our watches and boy ! it was almost 10 pm. And ya, before I forget: We had an amazing dinner..Chote toco had put in a lot of effort and got a lot of stuff packed from the famous 'Agrawal Bhojanalaya'. Dinner done by 8 ?..Not yet..Il get back to it....

Stage 6: The lights go off

Slowly the lights go off..one by one...Where do I sleep? I got my favorite middle berth. I somehow like it. Neither too high ! and not too low from the ground realities ! (Sounds like I have done my MBA !! ). We move to our places, then starts chit chat..This is the best part of the train journey..Yapping away through the night. Laughing, giggling away......This is what makes it awsome.....

Stage 7: 1 am

1 am...we are still awake....Starting to feel hungry...Suddenly we decide that wel have one more round of dinner..The lights are on..Doctor gets all the food packets..and before we know.....the rotis and sabjis are all cleaned up..15 minutes...tats all it took.......Dinner at midnight ! Maaza aa gaya.....

Stage 8: Magic Moments

• Can never forget the maggi that I had just before the camp fire and then the dinner that followed. Muuaaah.....We were hungry....The food was awsome ! The atmosphere was brilliant....We loved it.
  
• We were all tired, after the series of activities during the day. We boarded the bus and were heading back to our hotel. I thought everyone would doze off ! How wrong could I have been? This was no ordinary bus.. It was a 'disco-bus'. Suddenly a couple of cool numbers were being played, the disco lights came on and what followed was half an hour of magic ! It energized all of us...Dancing away to glory.By the time we reached the hotel we wanted more..and more....
  
• We were in the wild; in the forest watching animals. The driver showed us pug marks of the tiger ! Man, we have tigers here !!! Suddenly the question came up ' If a tiger comes in front of you ; how would you respond? ' And then we used this scenario to look at some unique traits and characteristics of class junta !....Just too good....Even as I write I can feel that experience !

Comments: The trip taught me a lot of things.

• There would be times when you start organizing events and then a majority of the people quit. If you feel your idea/concept is good, just go ahead. Do not have self doubts.
• In a group you would always find some hidden talents. People who rise to the occasion and deliver when it matters the most.
• Its not the place that matters but the people. You need the right set of people and then it just rocks ! Enjoy the journey and not the destination !

Finally I would like to end by saying.......

" Feb 29th comes atleast once in four years, this tour would never come again ! "

Hitting Off

Had a strange experience today...Worth writing about. It was around 7.15 pm and I decided to go for a jog (Have been promising myself that I'll be regular !). Ok..here I go...I start jogging at my usual slow pace. I look around and find that there are atleast a couple more people who think that the 'coolest' thing to do on a Saturday night is to burn those extra calories !

As I complete my first round I can sense someone running at exactly my pace but a few yards away.I can hear the breath......I keep up the same pace, but now keenly listen to someone behind me..He follows me at the same rythemic pace. (I must clarify that I did not look back to confirm that it was a 'he'. Just that I don't expect a babe to follow me this way and that too at this place !)....Fine moving on...I complete a few more rounds and now I am clear that someone is following me...dhak.dhak..dhak...dhak.Suddenly I become a bit tense..Why should someone do that ? Sudden stream of thoughts....I reduce my pace a bit, thinking Il let him overtake me..But na...he was smart enough...He dropped a couple of yards as well....Fine I said..Il show you what I am made of...I suddenly shift into top gear and start sprinting...I think this is the fastest I have ever run for quite sometime...For a couple of seconds I cannot hear anyone and I think I have lost him !..Phew....What a relief......mujse takkar !

Dhak..dhak...dhakk...dhakk....within no time hes back...Sprinting..At the same pace...Now I do get worried..Running as fast as I can, but I realize that I am being followed at the same pace !......

I suddenly come to a screeching halt !...Turn back...and he halts too

"Man, you suddenly sprinted, were you trying to lose me? " He asked.
I did'nt want to admit it. I said "Na, I generally end it with a sprint".
Oh! I see, I was just trying to keep pace with you he says...I am from 4th year Elec, where are you from he asks ? "

And then follows a good 15 minutes of conversation. He asked me if I was a regular jogger and if it was right to sprint in the end. Shoul'dnt you slow down before coming to a halt ? Isn't this an amazing place to run? Are you regular? We discussed about all of these things. We discovered that both of us loved running in this beautiful campus and both were trying to be regular ! The discussion then went to how with MBA class schedules I sometimes find it difficult to take time off for jogging to how B Tech 8th sem was pretty cool !....

All this with someone I had never met before. We walked back to our hostels...Said Bye to each other......Strange right...Sometimes you just meet people..find something common, some area where you both are passionate about and just hit off !

Life is strange...But its nice !

The Last Few Days

When was the last time you took time off and went for a long walk
All alone, into nature and in your own world
These are your last few days in the campus. Make the most of it. The ideal time to go out would be 6.45 pm when the night just sets in. Put on your jogging shoes and hit off ! The key is to choose a different path everyday. You could sprint/ jog/ walk..Thats not important. The key is to realize that you are with nature. Absolute silence. Those huge banyan trees on both sides of the road. Occasionally fellow joggers who I guess feel the same about this beautiful campus and are out there.
Flush all negative thoughts out of your mind. Infact I would say, any thoughts. Just focus on the present and keep moving. Half an hour everyday...and you'l enjoy. There is so much to see in this place, ive hardly explored it...These are my last few days and Il make the most of it.

Today was a long walk from main gate to the hostel...with a halt at the beautiful temple on the way..........! Tomorrow it would be some other place....

I just have a few days left and I want to make the most of it !

Back to the Earth!

Expectations ! Confidence ?? Arrogance ???.. I sometimes wonder what is the difference between extreme confidence and arrogance ! Does one border on the other ? Or is there a stage when confidence becomes arrogance ? Interesting to think about it. When someone says ' Im sure Il get it'..Is he confident? Or does the tone in which he says it define if it is confidence or arrogance. Perhaps the stage where confidence becomes arrogance happens somewhere inside and in a lot of cases unknowingly...untill someone points it and says ' Dude, you're not good enough' !!! out or some incident jolts you and brings you back to the earth..

Back to the earth from the castles that you were building in the air;
Back to the earth to the same place where you were;
Back to the earth from the trophy you thought you already had won;
Back to the earth from the journey you had already embarked on !

Sea - Waves

What a Saturday morning I had. Had promised myself that I would get up at 6 and start jogging..Ha ha..what a joke, woke up at 8 am and was extremely sleepy even after breakfast. Made a couple of honest attempts to keep myself awake (Washed my face with a newly purchased face wash), but no change. The only thing that happened is that I slept even better after lunch....

Decided to go to the Besant Nagar beach in the evening. I now have less than 90 days left in the campus and have decided to go out and enjoi !!! (The travel plan should be ready by tomorrow).
Coming to the beach, it was awsome. It was the first time in a long time. I used to come here often in Q1 but somehow lost the habit after that. To be honest Ive lost most of the things that I used to do in Q1!!

The sea has something special.The waves, the breeze....Just standing there, looking at the waves, listening to the hushing sound....makes you feel great. Within minutes you are transported to another world. The key is to forget about everything else and watch the waves. Ya, you can look upwards at the sky, gaze at the stars..but absolute silence is essential...Half an hour of this..and you would notice the difference....!!

No visit to the beach is complete without having a plate of molagai bajji (green chilli pakoda)...Its unhealthy, its unhygenic, its unclean, its unadvisable etc etc, but kya kare?? its so tasty !!!

Rejuvinated !!! The sea certainly has a calming influence...Need to come here more often.

TZP

What is common between DDLJ (Dilwale), Black, Rang de Basanti, Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Mohobatein......??????

Ya, each of them might have been blockbusters and created box office records. But there is something else. I havent seen any of them !..."Ya, man, hes crazy, he hasnt seen DDLJ....Paagal hain."....That would be the first reaction of any normal person. And if you also reacted the same way..Congratulations...You're normal !!! Ha Ha.....

Jokes apart, its quite surprising why I never saw any of these. I think I know the answer. Its that rebellious streak in me not to do something (or watch movies in this case) because everyone said its good. I know its a crazy argument but its true. Probably I never had the courage to say NO to a science and engineering career after 10th, though when I look back today, I would never have done the same. (given a chance I would have taken up journalism and become a leading sports correspondent of a national daily or even cricinfo !!!)

The point is since I followed the mainstream in the areas that affected me the most, I guess I looked for areas where if I behave differently it wont have an impact and movies was one.! And I dont think it was intentional..Something in the subconscious mind...I know Iwas stupid, but I guess this is the only rational reason I could think of as to why I never saw the movies that were declared the biggest hits of the year.

Ok..coming to the point. Taara Zameen Par had all the chances of falling in this 'esteemed list' until I decided to finally watch it...And didn't I make a good decision. First of all any movie showing school seems to strike a chord. Probably for that brief period my mind goes back to those good ol' school days !....But in this case it was more...What immediately struck me was 5th A class and when students used to get a pasting (and it was painful) for making mistakes in Mathematics and at times even their head banged against wall..I never faced the brunt, but yes there were a few of the students who were 'common casualties'. I used to wonder how they could make mistakes in something as simple as addition or the basic concepts. I never understood. Another example was reading out in class. At times we were asked to stand up and read out certain parts of the lesson. Again I found that it was a struggle for some ! There have been instances when we have laughed out loud when someone made silly mistakes....

The movie has made me realize that those mistakes might have been silly for me, but would have been a struggle for someone else. There was no one to tell me these things then. But I hope the kids who have seen the movie now are more sympethatic towards their fellow classmates. Not everything about the 21st century is all that evil. We do make some good and meaningful movies.

3rd Feb

Its that day of the year, 3rd of February. So whats so special about this day? It seems like another usual Sunday characterized by a late breakfast at Tiffanys an excellent post-lunch sleeping session and a visit to the temple in the campus. Ya, to think of it, seems like a routine day, but wait a minute..I just need to go back a few years...Few ?...Oh, its 5 years now.

krrrr....krrrrrrrrrrrrrr........krrrrrrrrrrrr....(That was the sound of the tap rewinding ! )....Now its 3rd of Feb 2003. Wow ! Seems so good. The day we all joined the wonderful campus at TCS Trivandram. The day I met 34 of my amazing batchmates. Well, thats an understatement..This is the best collection of people from across India that I have interacted with..

2003 was a tough time. The economy was just about limping out of recession. 2001 and 2002 was characterized by a US slowdown and 9/11 which had a direct impact on the campus recruitment in India...The impact was so strong that we had IIT grads who joined TCS along with me..(Under normal circumstances they wouldnt have)...And the rest were from engineering colleges all across India. (Equal representation from the West, North, South and the East). Infact looking back, I consider it as one of the greatest learning experiences. Having lived in Mumbai all throughout my life, I was used to a certain line of thinking. But here away from home, we had different opinions from different people on the same topic. And boy it was fun !

Weekend trips to various places in Kerala (We covered it all, starting from Munnar to the backwaters and we even went to Cochin ! ), watching the world cup, dinner @various restaurants in trivandram...Boy , wasnt it fun..How can I ever forget pulling out my t-shirt and running topless on the streets of medical college junction of trivandram (we were a group), to celebrate India defeating Pakistan in the World Cup....I bet people in 'traditional' Trivadram would have experienced a cultural shock !

There are so many incidents that I can recall..The hard fought cricket matches, the Mowgli episode, designing a t shirt to celebrate the World Cup, the great music group singing away to glory on the long bus rides, slogging the last few days to come up with a class magazine...The list is endless....

But the best part of it were the people...The way we gelled together. Absolutely no differences. Learning about each others culture..Iyer speaking in Hindi and Mangu dada learning Hindi was just awsome ! And Droops Hindi which was heavily laced with a Bong accent... ...Awsome...

Each of us were unique and got something to the table...And we celebrated our differences.....Needless to say we developed great bonds of friendship that has grown over these last 5 years.


Tomorrow I would get back to classes and then the routine schedule and before I know it would be 3rd Feb 09'. One things for sure. I would definitely be celebrating it...!!!

Statistics and all of that.......

Im having so much free time these days. Nothing much to do...Post December life has changed. Its become so difficult to motivate myself to open a book and read......!!!

Reading and accademics brings me to the topic of the day..Statistics....January seems to be the time for great people to hang up their boots and say they have had enough. Last year it was Glenn Mcgrath and Shane Warne and this year its Adan Gilchrist. So what, everyone has to go sometime or the other, so whats new?..I guess its the timing..

They were all playing good enough to go on for a couple of years more. In cases of Gillli he was just 4 test matches away from playing a 100 test matches. Who doesnt want that record? Imagine 50 years from now his he could tell his grand children about it !. Couldnt Mcgrath have gone on and claimed 700 test wickets? Could'nt Warne have touched the 750 wickets mark?

But they didnt. They didnt go after the numbers...Its so contrary to the way we in India approach life. Its inherent in us. ...We use numbers and statistics a lot more. We use to judge where we are, we use it to compare ourselves with others.

The very first topic of discussion after a new child is born is how much he weighs !...This is just the beginning....Starting from kindergarden his ranking in class is dissected. How much did your son get in Math? 19 and a half out of 20? Oh ! my son got 19 and 3/4th.. What is his aggregate percentage? We don't hesitate to go upto the 2nd decimal level...I got 89.63%. Ah! I didnt get a call..I got 99.13 percentile. The cut off was 99.23........My CGPA was 8.89, they didnt shortlist below 8.9..I missed out by a fraction.......My salary is 18.63...Her son earns just 15.38 lakhs. The story goes on....Not just in accademics...I guess it spills over to other areas as well.....

Just makes me wonder..Do figures always tell the true story? Do we stress a bit too much on them?....Do we play for records?

I would end with what Gilchrist said " So if the fire is not burning, theres no use to dragging on just to achieve a number or a milestone. And I always looked to Rodney Marsh's stats and he played 96 tests and I always thought to myself ' Why did'nt he play one more series or 4 more games? ' But I now know. When your time's up your time's up"

Inflation and filter kapi

The newspapers are buzz with news that inflation in India is at a 'five year' low. The wholesale price index is around 3.45% and its such a wonderful thing that it is under control. Should'nt we be happy about it? Its time to celebrate....things are not as expensive as they were a few months back (when inflation was around 5%). I can buy more stuff, I can eat a lot more and pay less !!!...Hurray....Wait a minute...Is it really true?

I don't think so. Ive got facts to prove it. I went home for a 2 week winter break. What was the one thing that I missed during those 2 weeks? No prizes for guessing the right answer...Its the tiffanys filter coffee. I easily gulp down atleast 3 glasses a day (strong) and if there is a 3 o clock lecture, I have one before and one after the class. At times I ask him for a 'strong double'. Thats how important the tiffanys coffee, (or should I say kapi) is for me. It was nicely priced at Rs 5/- a glass, which I felt was reasonable.

On my return, the first thing I did after checking into my room, was to head to Tiff, to have my cuppa. I took out a 5 rupee coin as usual and said ' ore kapi'. He looked at me and said, 'Saar, six rupees'. I was shocked. A 20% hike in filter coffee prices. I asked him why did they increase the prices and went to ask about the revised prices of the other items as well. To my surprise all of them had been increased by 20 to 30%. Now that might not seem too much for a working professional, but for students like me, its a sizable increase. And considering the fact that I eat here almost everyday (snacks for sure and in most of the cases lunch as well) !!.


I had read a lot of articles stating that WPI is never a true indicator of inflation as most of the items in that basket are something that we dont purchase. The government should be using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which reflects the true picture. Can't agree with that argument more...And in my case the basket would have a significant weight allocated to filter coffee prices !!

Till the next price hike...happy coffee drinking.....

P.S I also noticed that the prices of the special items like 'podi masala dosa' and 'paneer masala dosa', the premium products (which were priced in Rs 30 range) are still the same. Has he used some economics funda, analyzed how much each of the customers buy and from what range before deciding the price hikes...I dont know, but would be interesting to find out.

A different stripe

Its a wonderful feeling, when you blog about something/someone and then find that after a couple of days, something on similar lines appears in the press !..I just wrote about Chanderpaul and his grit and cricinfo comes up with an amazing article on him. (Mine is not even 2% of how beautifully cricinfo has conveyed the same stuff)....

Even if you are not a cricket fan, I feel its a must read..and if you still feel you cannot read about cricket, read only the points highlighted in blue..Its worth it........Here it goes...

Crab-like and inelegant he may be, but it is his gritty determination and stomach for a fight that are more worth remarking on. "Tiger" Chanderpaul is a man driven by the simple mantra of just doing the best he can
Fazeer MohammedJanuary 2, 2008
The 'business of batting, batting and more batting'

On the face of it, the nickname just doesn't seem to fit. Shivnarine Chanderpaul The Tiger? Rampaging, mauling, utterly destructive? No man. It's got to be someone else. Not that dour nudger and deflecter with the crab-like shuffle across the stumps. Chanderpaul The Crustacean maybe, for surely those big cats would be deeply offended to be associated with someone who apparently lacks their feline grace, blood-curdling snarl and the ability to pounce like lightning and rip an unsuspecting victim to shreds.

Then again, maybe it's not so far-fetched, for in the same manner that stealth and determination are primary attributes of the tiger, so has the durable Guyanese left-hander emerged in his own understated manner as one of the most prolific and reliable batsmen in the midst of the darkest era in the long, proud history of West Indies cricket.

Brought up in an environment that cherishes a legacy of larger-than-life batting champions from George Headley to Brian Lara, Chanderpaul inevitably suffers in comparison with those legends. Not that he isn't capable of lifting the tempo when required, but even when he does, it lacks the panache, the flair and the almost regal arrogance associated with the maestros of yesterday, whose flashing blades typified the marriage of joyful exuberance and technical excellence that is celebrated as definitively West Indian.

As the first cricketer of East Indian descent to play over 100 Tests for the Caribbean side, he has been content to ply his trade in the shadows of the incomparable Brian Lara - and anyone else who happens to come along and shine brightly for a brief period before the indiscipline and inconsistency that have dogged the former kings of the game poison the latest pretender to the throne of batsman supreme.

Indeed, it is only since Lara's surprise retirement at the 2007 World Cup that Chanderpaul's value has become blindingly apparent. A tally of 446 runs at an average of 148.66 just two months later in England placed him in a different stratosphere from his struggling team-mates. And even when they all finally got it together as a team to produce a stunning series-opening victory at the end of year over South Africa in Port Elizabeth, the 33-year-old former captain remained a cut above the rest, with his 17th Test hundred anchoring the side to what proved a match-winning first-innings total.

He may not look the part, but this is one case where statistics don't lie: 7294 Test runs (average 46.75) and 7141 one-day international runs (average 39.67) to the end of 2007 are not figures to be taken lightly. But they only tell part of the story. It is Chanderpaul's single-minded determination to excel as a batsman for West Indies from a very young age that offers a greater understanding of just why he carries a nickname that seems so much at variance with his personality on and off the field.

Born in Guyana, Chanderpaul is the product of a society defined by economic hardships and racial divisions fuelled by inflammatory politics. In such a society, every opportunity for advancement is not only grasped with both hands but guarded with a jealousy that borders on selfishness. For a land of such bountiful natural resources and enormous economic potential, the harsh realities of everyday life have meant that those with the means to do so invariably take flight.


His comparative silence in the dressing room or limited, faltering comments in front of the microphones should not be mistaken for a lack of conviction - far from it. As one of his fellow countrymen, Clive Lloyd, publicly commented during his term as manager on the 1996-97 tour of Australia, Chanderpaul will stand his ground in any situation when he has to.

Three former West Indies captains, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd and Alvin Kallicharran, are among the most notable of Guyanese natives who have made their homes in the United Kingdom, while another from that South American nation to have led the regional side more recently, Carl Hooper, now lives in Australia. In essence, the theme for most Guyanese seems to be to work hard, make good and get out.

It is difficult to see how such imperatives would not have had a deep influence on Chanderpaul's approach to his cricketing career. Just as talented boys on the other side of the country's southern border with Brazil see football as their ticket out of humble circumstances, the skinny little youngster from Unity Village on the east bank of the mighty Demerara River was obsessed with cricket not just for the aesthetic delights of batsmanship, but as an avenue to fame, fortune and a better life for himself and his family.

While others with much more natural talent from the relatively affluent tourist havens of the Caribbean squandered their many opportunities at making it on the big stage, Chanderpaul's credo has been pretty much the same as when he first strode out at Bourda for his Test debut as a 19-year-old against England in 1994. It is not for him to play with the extravagance of a millionaire, even though he can obviously afford to live the good life now as he heads into his 14th year as an international cricketer. His wicket is still to be guarded jealously. Runs are still runs, whether acquired by flair or graft. And even as the senior man by some distance in the West Indies squad, he is still prepared to do whatever is necessary for the cause of the team and his own pivotal role in it.

On the basis of his vast experience and status as a former captain, it would probably be expected that he should demand every now and then to have his own way. Yet he has returned in the last year to opening the batting in ODIs, not so much because it his favoured position but because it is in the best interests of the West Indies. In his own way he is very much a team man without being the loud-mouthed, cheerleading type that seems so much in vogue in this modern, media-driven era. But his comparative silence in the dressing room or limited, faltering comments in front of the microphones should not be mistaken for a lack of conviction - far from it. As one of his fellow countrymen, Lloyd, publicly commented during his term as manager on the 1996-97 tour of Australia, Chanderpaul will stand his ground in any situation when he has to.

I alone: Chanderpaul has made an art form of playing the solo hand, especially over the last two years

That fierce determination and willingness to take on any challenge was very much in evidence on that arduous campaign, where the 22-year-old relative newcomer took on the responsibility of the No. 3 spot in the batting order from a struggling Lara. It was also during that series that he launched a scintillating assault on Shane Warne on the final morning of the Sydney Test, racing to 71 before being undone by a sensational ripper that the legspinner has since often described as one of the best deliveries he has ever bowled in his outstanding career. It was therefore ironic that the same batsman had been ignored for the entire home series against the same Australians in 1995, partially on the premise that he would have been unable to cope with the wiles of Warne. It was not the first time, and certainly not the last, that he has been underestimated.
Chanderpaul doesn't fit into the standard mould of the modern cricketing superstar and has suffered for it. When all the popular, chatty, fashionably attired pretty boys were selected for the ill-fated ICC Super Series two years ago, no serious protestations were raised about the omission of the crab-like left-hander, who just happened to have one of the best Test averages of the previous 12 months.

But that will always be his lot, because he isn't bothered by it enough to attempt to reinvent himself for the sake of being more marketable. Whether or not anyone cares to notice, his is the business of batting, batting and more batting. From living in the considerable shadow of Lara for more than a decade (he will forever be associated with Lara after having partnered him to his first world record-breaking Test innings of 375 in Antigua in 1994) to carrying the frail West Indies batting on his shoulders in the last English summer, Chanderpaul is driven by the simple mantra of just doing the best he can, whatever the circumstances.

He knows the game, as someone who has played at the highest level for as long as he has should, but is not comfortable as a leader, as his brief tenure as West Indies captain confirmed. That painful experience in 2005-06 showed that while he may be able to adapt to any challenge in the middle - his generally phlegmatic style is belied by a 71-ball Test hundred against Australia at Bourda in 2003, among other examples of quick scoring - the burden of such overall responsibility was too much for him.

Whatever his shortcomings as spokesman, skipper or tactical wizard, all of his opponents respect him for that tigerish determination and ability to creep along almost unnoticed towards another significant score. Despite never figuring in any discussion about contemporary batting greats, he has compiled 15 Test centuries in the last five years.

So it seems the "Tiger" nickname is right on the ball after all, for by the time anyone really takes notice of Chanderpaul, it's too late: he has already pounced on the chance to devour the bowling in his own deliberate, undemonstrative style.