A decade - definitely not lost

There is no such thing as a ‘dull decade’. The arc of history is long—to maul a line by my local Atlanta hero, Dr. Martin Luther King—and it bends toward stuff happening. It’s a natural human tendency to give special attention to things close-by – be it times, places or people. Having acknowledged this, I still feel the past decade deserves a mention on the Right Experience, and this topic will hopefully lead to my re-entry as well as continued touch with the blogosphere.

There are decades when a few earthquakes shuffle the terrain and jostle the nerves—and then there are decades when the world splits open to the boiling core and remakes itself. Maybe after a generation or two have passed, the events of the 21st century’s first 10 years will recede in significance. With time, perhaps 9/11 will go back to being just another day in September. It sure seems unlikely from here. Indeed, the 10-year period beginning in 2000 has been marked by a string of colossal events that, in any other decade, would have been the undisputed story of their time. It has been a dazing and bedazzling era, almost biblical in its bookending events: the tragedy of 9/11 and the election of America’s first black president—a man whose name meant nothing to anyone outside of politics until just a few years before his ascension to the most powerful office in the world. Just think: Cataclysmic Tsunami—a catastrophe so vast it nearly wiped several cities off the map of the world—rates a distant, even debatable, third among this decade’s biggest headlines. Two ongoing wars, a global financial collapse, Hurricane Katrina, Mumbai 26/11, Gujarat riots… the list goes on and on.

The decade had its fair share of pleasant and gloomy times, almost looks like it had everything. The one thing this decade hasn’t had, oddly, is a name. People could never seem to agree on one. Is it the Double-Zeroes? The Oh-Ohs? The 2K’s? I even remember seeing at least five different ways of writing a date in 2000s. But well, it shouldn’t matter, except that it’s hard to wrap your arms around something when you don’t even know what to call it. “The ‘50s,” “the ‘60s” - the terms conjure a specific, albeit oversimplified, portrait of those eras in different nations. But perhaps it’s fitting that this decade should remain stubbornly absent a name. It’s been too vast, too shocking and too transformative, for just one.

And in any case, a decade or a year for that matter is just an empty unit of time, arbitrarily walling off of events that exist both within and beyond them. When we get close to the end of a year or a decade, it’s mere use is to be indulged in one’s favorite past-times: Looking backward and dreaming forward. With wishes that every ‘good’ dream seen by all the six billion eye-pairs turn into reality, here is wishing everyone a happy and a healthy new decade. Prosperous, who really knows? :)

Quarter Life Crises

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing
that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may
not like.You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a
year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are
now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those
friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the
greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch
with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is
that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean
or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought
you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing
that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and
find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize
that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly
adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One
minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone
and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and
cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is
drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay
where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do
such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet
anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you
love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why
you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. You
want to settle down for good because now all of a sudden that becomes
top priority. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look
pathetic.

You begin to think a companion for life is better than a
hundred in the shack and for once you would not mind standing tall for
that special someone which otherwise you had never thought of until
now. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and
talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem
to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and
making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be
great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

Mumbai, again... :(

Another terror attack in India... Another 100+ people killed... Day long coverage from the Indian television media, newspapers filled with unfortunate photos... And, the same cluelessness on the part of all the intelligence agencies of the world... Everything sounds so very familiar, almost like a deja-vu... Is this the new era we are going towards, where such attacks are to be 'expected' every month? Where every person leaving his home in the morning, is not really sure if he would return back that night? Where one part of the world is working hard towards 'raising the standard of life' while the other part witnesses the 'value of human life' deteriorating every day? There are many things that baffle me when it comes to 'our' responses to such incidents... But the thing I am sure of is the answer to all these questions... And the answer is "NO"...

India has witnessed atleast half a dozen such attacks in 2008 alone... And everytime such unfortunate incident takes place, I usually try to check some Indian TV channel on the web and get all my news online... However, the way media has been reporting today has made me believe that today's incident could potentially be a game-changer... There have been at least three national news channels in the US, covering the mumbai incident throughout the day - without breaking even once for local US news.. For the first time, I am witnessing such major global coverage of a non-US incident and this indeed gives me some 'hope' that the world is finally taking a note of the plight of terrorism in 'third world' countries...

One of the famous reporters for a major US news channel mentioned that today was India's 9/11... I was actually amused to listen that because if you look in terms of the number of casualties, there have been many more attacks in India where this number was far more than the one reported today... This makes me ponder - why is the western media paying so much attention this time? Is it because 'westerners' were targeted for the first time in India? Is it because it was the most co-ordinated attack launched ever in India? Or is it because elections are over and there is nothing substantial to report? Whatever the reason is - I am happy that atleast this time, an incident as unfortunate as this one, did not go unnoticed by the West...

While I certainly appreciate the statements all the governments of the world including the 'government-elect' here in the US have rolled out, what the world really needs is action... We must realize that terrorism does not have religion and neither can it be identified by a nationality... Terrorism in any format or in any part of the world is equally dangerous and the solution can only be reached when the roots are targeted... It is said that 'good' always conquers the 'evil' and I am staunch believer that terrorism has to be, and will be vanished some day... Let this be the day, all the governments of the world unite together to target the roots rather than the branches... Let this be the day, that sparks a 'plan to eradicate terrorism' rather than a mere 'war on terrorism'...

After Fay, its Gustav

Thats true! It's indeed tough for Floridians here... Although it is my first hurricane season here in the US, I am so bugged of it... And going through the same thing, year after year! The 'Sun-shine' state deserves a lot of credit...

Tropical Storm Fay left my workplace shut down for two days. Sounds like fun, right? It wasn't.. :( You cannot go out of your hotel room, its like a curfew everywhere! I went out for a jog in the evening and returned back within 10 mins after the tornedo sirens went on... Fay was expected to be a minor tropical storm. But the amount of rain it poured over here was something that was not expected out of it...

Fay - all around Florida:


Not even two weeks into the downpour caused by Fay, and here comes Gustav - Hurrican Gustav (read: Bond - James Bond). Weather.com expects it to just brush the western coast of Florida, but once the hurricane is over the warm waters of the gulf, anything is possible.

Gustav - here it comes:


I encounter mixed emotions when I think about the end of my internship coming closer. My last day here will be Aug 29 and because it has indeed been such a joy ride here, I am going to miss it all - my work, my convertible and the beaches :(. However, getting out of the hurricane'd' place before the next one strikes is quite a huge motivation. Atlanta, here I come!

What tastes better?

The taste of winning the most prestigious case competition of your school or the taste of home food? :) I am undecided...

Goizueta Marketing Strategy Consultancy (GMSC) is a case competition that brings weird reactions on the faces of people who have been through it. Its 20 hours of hard work every week along with an extended stay post the final exam, when all the non-GMSC students fly home. For many, it can turn out to be the worst decision they made ever since they joined GBS, but for me and my team, it was the best!

We started the GMSC process in the later part of December. Six of us, totally new to each other's working styles, were assigned a project to help one of the biggest airlines. It took more than 5 months, a wrecked spring break and a few spoiled grades in other subjects to achieve the first place on May 8th, 2008! The delight was not doubled but trippled when we came to know that along with the 'hefty' cash prizes, we were also awarded medalion status in the frequent flyer program of that airline. Wow! That was unbelievable! Just loved it! Awesome! Mind blowing!

Then came 9th of May, 2008. The day when I flew home after 10 months in the US. And it is an easy guess to imagine what must I have done in that long flight. Slept, slept and slept! The GMSC party was all over me. Thanks to the great service, I was home 28 hours after I left Atlanta. However, when I landed here, the excitement of meeting my parents, the love reflected from my sister's eyes when she first saw me was a treat to watch. Just when I had the first bite of the home cooked lunch, this was the question I asked myself - 'what tastes better? Winning the GMSC or food cooked by my mom?'

I am not sure of the answer, but I am sure that with 95% certainity (I love DIA :)), its somewhere close to 60-40, advantage mom! I have got two more weeks to enjoy this treat and I am going to make the most of it!

Take care all!

Happy Diwali!

Diwali Wishes

India INC - poised

The Indians waited with bated breath, and so did the steel giants of the world. The acquisition of Corus by Tata steel, though a bit costly, proved to be the biggest take over in the history of India Inc... And its not a proud moment just for the Bombay House, but for each and every Indian!!!

M not going to re-publish the details of the deal as most the news sites have them... Instead, i would close down with a comment from Mr Russi Mody - former chief of TATA steel who later became its biggest critic after falling apart with Ratan Tata, "He (Ratan Tata) has exceeded all expectations. Its a message to the world - 'India is coming'".

T(h)aT(h)as are on their way!! :):):)

Munnabhai and Ganpati

A deep feeling of nostalgia, those blasting laughters and a packet of popcorn costing just 5 bucks... Thats all that struck me when I heard the Munna Bhai tune this Wednesday...

Munnabhai MBBS was a movie i had watched during my final year in college in a nearby cinema hall with more than 20 friends of mine... It was a movie I could have watched any number no of times, provided someone paid for my tickets... ;) And if you opined that Munaa-2 was
not going to reach the expectations set after the success of Munna-1, you better give a second thought... I found Munnabhai-2 better than its elder counterpart...

The movie starts with the actor who could be termed as the 'find' of Munnabhai MBBS... Guess who? Arshad Warsi ofcourse... I thought the producer should have bought him a nice kurta in last two years... But no... :) That chap was still in that black kurta, blue jeans and tons of gold wrapped around his neck and fingers... Sanju baba, one of my all time favourites was introduced in a romantic mood straight away... I have always believed that Sanjay Dutt is one of the most decent looking gentlemen in the industry... But the kind of flouroscent shirts he wears at times, really makes me go Yuk!!! Dressing apart, Sanju baba is certainly a master at the art of acting... And who plays Sanju baba's sweetheart? None other than the gorgeous Vidya Balan... Aa aa.. 'Gorgeous' wouldnt be the correct word to describe her.. You could call her glorious, marvelous, amazing.. :) In short absolutely splendid... She looks very beautiful in the movie and has adapted herself very well to the character she plays.. I was a Vidya Balan fan after
watching Parineeta, and after Munnabhai-2.. I am a buff!!! And at last but not the least.. How can i forget Mr. Boman Irani? At his best as usual, adhering 100% to the role he was given...

The reason I liked the movie more than Munnabhai-1 was probably because this one had a message... And somehow it was a message I have always tried to adhere to... I am not a Gandhian in all respects, but yes, i certainly admire few of his principles... I was able to relate many scenes in the movie with my life...

All in all, a worth watch for sure... I would love to see it for the second time and will get this opportunity during Diwali when i go home....

So much about the movie, and nothing about the man who made watching it possible on a weekday? Thats unfair!! Wednesday was Ganesh Visarjan day and this was the
reason i had a break for my office... Thanks a lot Ganapati dada.. You made me watch a good movie after a long time!!

Talking about Ganesh Visarjan - it was only later that i came to know that Hyderabadis immersed 66000 Ganesh idols into the Hussain Sagar during the past week..
Now isnt that a huge huge number!!!! The enthusiasm that people have for this festival is tremendous... I visited the lake before we went for the movie and the aura was absolutely mind blowing... Amongst the noise of bugles, and the chants of 'Ganpati Bapa Morya', you could hardly hear the person standing next to your ears... I also witnessed the the 2nd tallest idol of the city which was 32 feet long.... Though it was a major obstacle for the procession as the wires
and cables running all over the roads were to be lifted by electrians who had climbed up near the lords crown, the magnamity of the idol was mind-capturing.. I also had the pleasure of having a lathi on my back, while peeping into the lake to see the immersion... But it was worth as i was closely able to see the crane resting the idol on the surface of water and waiting till the POP melts... Here are some snaps of the grand occassion:





The procession went on till late night... And the tallest idol in Hyderabad and proclaimingly in India (40 feet long) was to be immersed at 2 in the night... But unfortunately, as we had to move to the office the next day, we planned to return home after the movie...

A very satisfying day indeed!!!

And finally, for those of you who are pondering if i am at all apping this year... :):)
Yes.. I will update the fellow bloggers soon on the developments... And thankfully, there are few things to update!!

Keep reading!!!

The Laptop Hunt ends

This is Lenovo 3000 N 100 6895KA speaking... :):)

Yes, after loads and loads of research, cross-checks, bargaining and re-bargaining, i have helped myself to a sexy, slick and smart piece from Lenovo.

The final take was to be taken between Dell and Lenovo, and after the battery incident and almost no bargaining opportunities that Dell offered, the decision was pretty simple....

Few promises to be made to myself:

1. I shall speed up with the apps process
2. I shall blog more regularly (more????)
3. I shall not play games on my laptop for more than an hour per day... :)

The Laptop Hunt begins

Folks,

It has been no blogging since a few weeks, and i guess i have a valid excuse for the same. With new responsibilities dropped everyday over my shoulders, i have tried hard to breath out of my office by 7:00 PM. Though my boss ensures most of the times that my intentions are not fulfilled, i have mananged to sneak out of the workplace few times, in search of a notebook.

I initially thought that my office desktop was enough to take me through the entire process of preping and apping for b-schools. But after slogging for 8-9 hours a day, you just cant sit on that same chair and think of writing a line or two of your essays!!

After almost two weeks of online and offline research, i was able to zero-on to three models.

• Dell XPS M1210: 12 inch wide screen, 1GB RAM, 60 GB HD (Rs 65,000)
• Lenonvo 3000 N 100: 14 inch wide screen, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB HD (Rs 60,000)
• HP Pavilion 1615: 14 inch wide screen, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB HD (Rs 55,000)

While 12 inch smart screen, sylish looks and 1 GB RAM are pulling me towards Dell, the price factor makes HP very attractive. Most of the remaining features are common for all the above configurations.

Any suggestions please!!!

Numbers and me!!

I have always had an usual liking for numbers.... I somehow always try to figure out symmetries in the kind of numbers that i see around.. These numbers can be in the form of dates, or in the form of my Id numbers, or exam hall ticket numbers... Dont know if this happens with most of the human beings :), but it certainly happens with me in large numbers!!

This time it is the date that is bothering me!!! 24th March, 2006 was a day that i felt was the best day i will have in this year, and 24th April, 2006 is probably the worst. Though no bad news so far have come from any direction today, and though it is still 10'o clock in the morning, the day is giving me a serious displeasure in anything i do...

And here it comes... Got the call that i expected, which surmounted to all the discomfort i was having since morning... The day is indeed pathetic!!!

My most astonishing b'day so far!!!

Before i go on to write anything in this blog, it becomes mandatory for me to mention a few lines on :

• Being 23 now, shouldnt i have thought of something better, than to write an essay on such an infantile thingy, just like any high school kiddy??
• Wont the people who even dont know me, find this piece absolutely 'roobish' as Geof Boycott would call it?

Well, well... The answers to both these questions can be summed up in a single word, 'YES'. Yes, i could have thought of something better to be described, but somehow this day left an impression on my mind, heart and soul, it made me realize many many things that i couldnt have otherwise, leaving me with a new horizon in which i breath today. So, for me this day becomes a slight twister of thoughts and confidence and hence finds a place in my first ever blog.

Coming on to the second question and its answer, yes... People who do not know me (and also some who know me) might find this piece to be folderol.. and so... Ammmm.... I cant give them a refund for the few minutes of broadband they might have spent to read till here... Instead i can just offer them my apologies... :)

Well.. well... So, here i go.. The date was 24th March, 2006. Celebrations had already begun a day earlier on 23rd, as my roomies had brought a nice lil cake with loads and loads of chocolate icing.. People at my place, all tired after a tough day at office were desperately waiting for the clock to show 12 since evening 8 o clock... :) And exactly at midnight, amongst the buzzing of the phones, i had the pleasure of cutting the most chocolaty cake i ever had!!!

The morning of the b-day was very usual... After attending many phone calls and acknowleding all the wishes that were showered, i was again busy replying people who succumbed to sleep as my phone was busy the other night... And when i reached the office, i hardly knew that i was to be presented with a surprise... Few of my colleagues showed me a beautiful pinnaple cake... It felt nice to find that they remembered this day!!


But this was not all... We had a group activity event which was co-incidently planned on the same day... We were supposed to go to a place called Ramoji Film City and stay in a 5-star hotel called Sitaara... I wasnt all that exited about going there, as i had been to Ramoji earlier as well, but the idea of spending a day in a 5 star hotel wasnt all that bad!! So, i decided to join in for Ramoji Film City....The route to Ramoji was totally new for me, as the driver, totally baffled & bewildered in his approach, was in search of a short cut to reach there.. :) We had a nice time in the bus, and i found a lot many new faces... I predicted them to be new joinees to the IBU, as they had the usual question marks painted all over there foreheads... :)

The b-day wasnt yet over, and this got reflected in Ramoji Film City. I was presented with yet another cake, this time a bigger one. It was so very enchanting to cut that strawberry cake in front of almost 150+ people, standing in a lush green lawn of a 5 star hotel. It made me feel for while that it wasnt me who was doing the honors... I just felt as if i was a son of a millionaire or may be a virtuso, and was celebrating my bday, with all the guests applauding and singing.. :)




The day was indeed one of the best days i had seen.... I dont know if all the smiles i saw or all the giggles i heard, were real or not :(.. But one thing is for sure, they were huge in number.. :) The day certainly made me realise that sometimes you get happiness from places where you dont really expect.. Made me realise that its not always important to plan everything, there should be some room for randomness in your life as well... :)

Inspite of having an amazing day, when i was about to shut my eyes at night, in that auspicious room of the hotel, there was a sense of dampness that i felt... I had everything i had always wished for... From fame, to luck... From applauses, to wishes.. But then too, there was something that i was missing badly... I tried to figure it out... It was probably the abominable thought of being away from home, away from the people you love, away from the person you love to be with... And with this thought in my mind... off i was... now, with 1 year less to achieve all that i want to!!