tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57426453244947686282024-03-06T05:07:06.699+05:30Boulevard of (Non) Fictional ThoughtsSeriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-88910158737777754232010-05-31T22:17:00.000+05:302010-05-31T22:18:00.875+05:30Reason!Why isn't there a reason?Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-8417761623546684752009-09-06T16:23:00.002+05:302009-09-06T16:26:21.897+05:30RealizationToday, I realized the difference between a mother's love and <span style="font-weight: bold;">others</span>' love.Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-60698241615773064582009-09-02T03:27:00.001+05:302009-09-02T03:27:29.637+05:30My CAT JourneyWell. So, here I post.<br /><br />Deep in 2000:<br />(July 2000 to August 2002)<br /><br />Happy go lucky. Is enjoying his eleventh standard - a reward for what he believes - a great result in Standard 10 board examinations; getting admission in the best junior college in the city. His immediate dream is fulfilled and he is on seventh heaven. He is experiencing college life for the first time - the independence, spending time at hangout places, gaming and all that.<br /><br />In the midst, his more "serious" friends have already started joining tuition classes for standard 12. Now starts the dilemma for him. You see, there is a little twist in his life - his parents, particularly his mother want him to prepare for IIT-JEE. Heeding to this, he buys a book - the fattest book he has ever carried. Now, he browses through the book. Somehow, he feels that he won't be able to cope up with the complex mathematical and chemical structures mentioned in it. He decides that he is not fit for IIT-JEE. He communicates this to his parents. His argument - he doesn't want to be aboard two ships at the same time - jeorpardizing his future. He chooses the safer, stabler option of preparing exclusively for 12th standard board examinations. He enrolls himself in a coaching class to pursue this choice.<br /><br />Meanwhile, he barely manages to pass 11th standard; being in danger of failing in one subject. BTW, he was also attacked by the Hepatitis Virus in the same year. This jaundice affliction weakens his digestion considerably. This point will be of importance later.<br /><br />Now, he attends the tuitions for 12th standard devotedly - but still put-offs studying regularly. It is almost January and he is still performing very poorly in the mock tests being conducted - getting scores in the range of 40-50 percent in chemistry. He is doing very well in mathematics though - scoring well over 90% most of the times. This has a deep impact on him. He resolves to study hard for the last momth before exams. However, just as he is getting into the groove, tragedy strikes and he is again attacked by Mr. Hepatitis. He is put on bed rest, has terrible weakness, can't eat anything much other than boiled dal and crushed rice. This period is the most difficult for him. He decides to work smart. he studies hard for the subject he is weak at.<br />He gives the exams - a very taxing exercise for him to concentrate on. He is fairly confident of doing well in all the subjects - including Chemistry.<br /><br />Now is the time to relax and unwind. He does give the some entrance exams - AIEEE, Andhra Pradesh Entrance Exam and IIT-JEE. However, he is/was never serious about them, and just goes through the motions.<br /><br />Finally the results come and as expected, he fails to perform any miracle and ends up getting a rather poor rank in all the entrance exams. He then waits for his 12th standard board exams. They are declared and he scores a very good 93%. (in PCM). Mathematics, as usual is his saviour - 99 marks.<br /><br />He then gets the option of choosing from either civil in the top college or computer/IT from the second/third best. He chooses to go for computer - listening to what his heart says.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">During this phase, I never aimed high. I thought that i wasn't good enough to be among the best. </span><br /><br />2002 - 2006<br /><br />During his first year, he was asked by a cousin of his - what are his future plans. His reply was very firm. "I'll do only an M Tech. " He felt that CAT, MBA and MS, GRE was a horde race. And he didn't like to be a part of it. And plus, he always thought that he'll be some technical geek.<br /><br />His engineering began with a bang. His overconfidence overcame him - leading to him being inattentive towards studies. As a result, his scores nosedived to unknown waters. This brought about a marked change in him. He start thinking - " After all, technical filed is not really for me"<br /><br />Further, in response to a question posed by his professor with respect to future long term plans - his answer was - being the top notch HR executive in an MNC. His idea of MBA at point was HR and doing it from XLRI, Jamshedpur. It was his first real dream. Yes, there was the glamour of IIMs. But then, that didn't hold asa much charm for him.<br /><br />Now, in third year, all of his classmates were joining coaching institutes for classes on GRE or CAT. Being a low scorer in 1st year made life very difficult for him. He had to fore-go the chance to give CAT in the final year of engineering to ensure that his grades do not fall further. He didn't join any coaching institute. Only worked on his academics. Also, another reason for not preparing for CAT was that he was told by the people he interacted with that he should do an MBA after certain work-ex. (preferably 2 years). It would help understanding the course much better.<br /><br />He landed a job in a dream company - one which used to recruit only really technical students and toppers. He was, by his own admission, not at all technical and his scores were such that he wasn't even eligible to sit for some of the so called important companies. He was really hurt during this period. However, when he got through the first company he was eligible for, his confidence soared.<br /><br />Also, during final year, he had to go through a tough time due to some personal issues.<br /><br />The remaining days were spent in enjoying his last year in college. He didn't even care giving CAT. Only a handful of people gave it from his college and hardly anyone got through any good institute. CAT, MBA was relegated slowly to the back of his mind.<br /><br />Side note: Sometime during the third year, he went through the NMAT paper published in Competition Success Review. He really enjoyed solving these questions. NMIMS had made an impression on him.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In hindsight, I feel I should have probably given CAT in my final year. Maybe even without preparation. However, being the eldest in the family, i didn't have that kind of guidance.</span><br /><br />Jul 2006 - Jun 2008: The attempt<br /><br />Deep joined his organization. He quickly also realized that he rather join the weekend coaching classes for CAT. He would require to spend only 2 hours on a sunday morning towards the preparation. He could also concentrate on his job during the first year.<br /><br />He got involved in a lot of pursuits which fulfilled his creative side - drama, writing, et al. He quickly became popular in his team and was regularly commended for his quick adaptability to work and good communication skills. He gave CAT 2006 - just for the sake of it. The only thing he knew about CAT was - there are three sections in it. He had fun during the exam - ended up getting 81.xx Percentile. Perfectly nice, he thought. With proper preparation, he was sure he would crack the exam(s).<br /><br />During this time, he religiously attended his weekend classes - he regularly raced ahead of the class in completing assignments given in class - especially in DI and QA. He was rather happy and felt was doing well.<br /><br />Sometime in Jan. 2007, he started preparing the theoretical concepts for CAT. He used to solve problems from his coaching institute material.<br /><br />Now, although he had joined pagalguy in Jan 2006. He had never really cared to login and check it. He started doing that now. Started with the threads on the work completion and other RC and SC threads. Slowly, he started posting. Getting involved with the discussions. He became a regular contributor in the mock threads. Started shouting :mg: on the shout box. Made a number of friends who supported and guided him during tough times.<br /><br />Also, the mock season had started. He joined the TIME series. He used to give two mocks every sunday. One - Career Forum and other one was TIME. He started with a bang in CF. Got an AIR 2 once. This really rocketed his confidence. However, in the TIME mocks - which actually are true reflection of your position, he was performing rather poorly. Averaging about 88-90 Percentile. He could almost never clear the QA cut off. However, he cleared the VA cut off with regularity. DI was in between. He was in a fix. He could not understand what was happening. When he used to solve the problems at leisure, he would crack them rather quickly. However, in mocks he was unable to solve them. This was worrying him. He had bet a lot on CAT/MBA. Almost everyone at his work knew that he was preparing for CAT. And although he wasn't really ignored for any work, he was not given too many new opportunities. He did not mind it. He knew he had to sacrifice his work related commitments.<br /><br />At this time (Aug 2007), during a session on Shout Box, he with some other regulars came up with the idea of BBLT (Bol Bachchan Losers Team). Starting from a concept which was a bit hazy, the team progressed to a bunch a individuals who were highly motivated and determined. There was great sense of camaraderie between them. Everyone encouraged each other. This infused a new spirit in him. He started working harder with a renewed spirit. Solved problems from online resources.<br /><br />Finally, as a run up to CAT, he took a leave of 4 weeks. He solved the CAT question papers of the last decade during this time. Gave 3-4 sectional mocks every day. Revised his concepts. On the day before CAT, he relaxed. He relaxed a bit too much. As a result, anxiety took over him. He could not sleep till 4 that night. It was easily the most frustrating time in his life. He knew he just need 4-5 hours of sleep to be fresh enough. However, he could hardly sleep. Next morning, reaching the centre early, he could feel the pang of nervousness. Suddenly, he could feel the weight of expectation he had from himself.<br /><br />The exam pattern was as expected. 75 questions, 25 questions in each section. However, he found quant exceedingly difficult. He realized this was a game of accuracy - his forte. He attempted only those questions he was sure of. Coming out of the examination centre, he felt uneasy. He felt he could have done well. Checking the scores throughout that day left him in no more doubt. He had messed the CAT. There was no probability of getting any calls.<br /><br />He was sad. However, as is his wont, he quickly recharged himself and braced himself for the other tests. The same story was repeated in every test - IIFT, JMET (he used to regularly do very well in JMET mocks. Had really high hopes from it), SNAP, NMAT, XAT, FMS and CET.<br /><br />After all the exams, he was confident of atleast getting a call from IIFT, NMIMS and decent percentile in XAT and a good score in SNAP.<br /><br />However, the results had a separate story to tell.<br /><br />He missed the IIFT call by a couple of marks.<br /><br />CAT score was: 94.3 with a low 81.xx in VA and 93.xx in QA. Surprise, his strength turned into an achilles heel. His first love, QA was still loyal as ever.<br /><br />JMET: Not qualified.<br /><br />SNAP: A low score of 75.5.<br /><br />FMS: No call<br /><br />XAT: 91.94 OA, 96.xx in QA, 93.xx in DI/LR, and 55.xx. Surprise turned into a shock here. He had expected to get at least a XIMB call here.<br /><br />He was heartbroken after all these results. He had put in so much of hard work and he had nothing to show for it. Then, within a space of 2 days, he got 2 calls - TAPMI and NMIMS. He had scored only 85 marks (cut off marks) in NMAT. However, he was determined to work hard and convert this call.<br /><br />His final tally of calls included: NMIMS, NIRMA, TAPMI, GIM.<br /><br />During this time, he met a person who really supported him through all this. She gave him encouragement, helped him overcome the loss of his grandfather, and made him feel good and confident again - all the while grappling with her own bad string of results. He became even closer to pagalguy as a result of this.<br /><br />He put in fair amount of hard work for the GD/PI. NMIMS was first up. He performed decently in the GD/PI. But, knowing the skewed weightage against the GD/PI, he was sure of not converting this call. Now, he had simply lost the appetite to give the GD/PIs. He was unsure of what to do. He didn't want to give up in his first attempt. He had already started thinking of the next attempt. He even canceled his trip to Manipal at the last moment.<br /><br />However, he gave the GD/PIs of GIM and Nirma. He had a blast at GIM and was blasted at Nirma. (Or so he thought).<br /><br />One day in April when he had even bought books for GMAT and started studying for next year, he received a mail from NIRMA. He had been selected in their first list even after a not so great percentile. Even though it was not a college he was sure he wanted to join, he was overjoyed. So much so that there were moist eyes and all that. :mg:<br /><br />However, now started the eternal dilemma. He wasn't sure of joining Nirma. On one hand, he was not confident enough of going on for another year; on the other hand, he really wanted to try again. Give himself another chance. This went on for over a month. He took opinions from various people.<br /><br />He gave the first AIMCAT of the season - 0920. Got a 83 odd percentile. It was enough to convince him that he may have more of such bad days.<br />Hence, he finally took the decision to join. He thought that it is the person who makes the life and not just the college. Finally, what tipped it in favour of joining was his parents' advice to join.<br /><br />He gave in his papers and served just two weeks of notice period. He looked forward to joining MBA and living away from his family for the first time.<br /><br />I did what i felt was best at that moment of time. It was a difficult decision to take. Many people were disappointed too with it. However, I was relatively happy. Also, my decision to join wasn't based only on my failure in one mock.<br /><br />2008-2009<br /><br />He joined Nirma. Life was good there. He already had a certain reputation as a pagalguy user. He quickly built a rapport with his batchmates. Got involved in the activities and the academic rigor there. But, he always felt a certain sadness at not giving himself another chance. Thus, he thought, why not give it another shot. He had read about people leaving after an year of MBA for better places. He joined the TIME test series again. He had absolutely no time to prepare. He just used to give the mocks on Sunday and that's it. Maybe look at the paper for an hour after that. That too wasn't very regular.<br /><br />Surprisingly, when the scores started to pour in, he was doing well. He was consistent getting decent percentiles of 96-97. He had never crossed 92 in the previous year even with all the hard work. He regularly featured in the toppers list and was among the top students in his city.<br /><br />Following is the scoring pattern for his mocks.<br /><br /><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 240pt;" width="320" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><col style="width: 48pt;" span="5" width="64"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt; width: 48pt;" width="64" height="20"><br /></td> <td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"> QA</td> <td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"> DI</td> <td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"> VA</td> <td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"> OA</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">901</td> <td align="right">87.41</td> <td align="right">95.21</td> <td align="right">98.94</td> <td align="right">98.95</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">903</td> <td align="right">80.18</td> <td align="right">93.11</td> <td align="right">98.98</td> <td align="right">98.09</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">904</td> <td align="right">61.18</td> <td align="right">90.5</td> <td align="right">94.36</td> <td align="right">91.35</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">905</td> <td align="right">86.75</td> <td align="right">97.71</td> <td align="right">99.75</td> <td align="right">99.59</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">906</td> <td align="right">76.63</td> <td align="right">69.97</td> <td align="right">86.72</td> <td align="right">84.63</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">909</td> <td align="right">76.02</td> <td align="right">97.91</td> <td align="right">85.55</td> <td align="right">95.89</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">910</td> <td align="right">80.01</td> <td align="right">92.46</td> <td align="right">70.65</td> <td align="right">88.09</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">913</td> <td align="right">55.89</td> <td align="right">96.66</td> <td align="right">97.57</td> <td align="right">96.36</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">915</td> <td align="right">70.46</td> <td align="right">82.03</td> <td align="right">69.25</td> <td align="right">78.45</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">916</td> <td align="right">70.44</td> <td align="right">87.42</td> <td align="right">53.89</td> <td align="right">76.4</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" align="right" height="20">917</td> <td align="right">94.74</td> <td align="right">98.23</td> <td align="right">87.17</td> <td align="right">98.07</td> </tr> </tbody></table><br />As can be seen, except for an occasional blip, DI was emerging as a strong point. Va had really rocketed in the last few mocks and QA remained a point of concern.<br /><br />Looking at these scores, he felt quite confident. He used to give these mocks without any expectation - just for the fun element.<br /><br />Now, with these scores, he again started expecting himself to do well. He even started dreaming of getting into IIM-A - an insitute he used to cross every week to give his mocks. As a result, he again lost his sleep on the night before CAT. Result - another mess up. And this time it was DI. He ended up with a percentile of 95.xx.<br /><br />He had filled two other forms this year - NMAT and XAT.<br /><br />A couple of weeks prior to XAT, his paternal grandfather expired. This left him shattered as he was really close to him.<br /><br />Cut to the night before XAT. He was having a horribly upset stomach. Was not able to stand even. He simply took a medicine and slept - he didn't even realize that he was to give XAT the next day. However, next morning he woke up with a start. He pushed himself out of the bed. He realized that he didn't have the print out for the XAT ID. He thought he would finally reach the venue in time. But fate had other things planned for him. His bike simple refused to start. He reached the centre somehow with just a few min to spare - huffing all the way and not having an iota of strength left. He started solving the paper - his regular pattern, QA,DI and then VA. Just at the end of the exam, he got stuck at a QA puzzle for 10 mins. Hesimply could not solve it. However, just as he had submitted his OMR and was waiting for the essay to begin, he solved the puzzle. He cursed himself as he knew that 2 marks matter a lot in XAT. Anyway, he moved on and completed the essay.<br /><br />After coming out, he realized that he had attempted too many question in DI/LR and very few in QA and VA. He had attempts of 15 in VA, 20-21 in DI, and 10 in QA. On checking the solutions, he found that he was getting all question DI right and 4/5 wrong in VA with one being wrong in QA. He knew that he would clear QA and DI but wasn't confident of VA. Consequently, he wasn't very hopeful of a call.<br /><br />However, when the results came - he was pleasantly surprised.<br /><br />He had scored<br /><br />99.54 OA, 94.9 in QA, 91.xx in VA and 99.86 in DI. It was like a dream scorecard for him. He got the call from the BM program. (QA was right at the cut off).<br /><br />He had also got calls from NMIMS (Written Rank 406) and XIMB.<br /><br />He prepared for the GD/PI earnestly and with all sincerity. He tried to cover as many points as possible, spoke to people who had given GD/PIs after being in MBA already.<br /><br />I would not delve into the details of the GD/PIs. The final result was:<br /><br />XLRI - Reject.<br />NMIMS - Final rank 308<br />XIMB - Convert After a WL<br /><br />I felt the worst ever after looking at the XLRI result. It was always a dream institute for me. It was the worst moment for me.<br />Anyway, I had to move on. Now, the biggest dilemma was whether it was worth leaving NIRMA for NMIMS/ XIMB after an year. I took opinions from a lot of people - alumni, current students, frineds from non MBA background, mentors, PG members, family members. I was in a crazy situation for over 2 months. It was like an eternal dilemma for me. At one moment I felt staying at Nirma was better, at other I felt like joining NMIMS. (I had already given up XIMB - personal reasons).<br /><br />Everyday was a challenge for me. Every moment was spent thinking about this. The pros and cons were almost equal. Would not enumerate them here. What really made me take the decision of joining NMIMS was the recession. I have basically bought an year against it. Nothing else. And yes, I heard everyone's opinions, but finally went with what my heart said.<br /><br />Leaving Nirma was the toughest decision of my life. I had a good life there, a certain reputation, great friends - giving that all up wasnt too easy. The day I vacated my room from Nirma, I almost wanted to reverse my decision.<br /><br />I don't know if this is a motivating story - but it certainly is unusual. I knew I owed this to pagalguy - a place which has given me so much recognition and respect, a place which has given me a very special person and some of closest friends, my roomies here at NM.<br /><br />I would like to thank anyone and everyone who helped me during my entire journey. I have learnt that it is not only the preparation that matters, but also the state of mind you are in while writing the exam. I would advice everyone not to make CAT, MBA as the end all and be all of life. Make it a prt of your life - enjoy it.<br /><br />PS: I would also like to say that Nirma is an amazing institute. Please do join it. I spent some of my best times there. Please PM me in case of any queries. Please don't clutter this thread.<br />I also do not wish to malign or disrespect any institute. I admire every institute, exam for its speciality.Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-83649086756184945522009-08-31T00:04:00.009+05:302009-08-31T00:18:55.313+05:30Why blogging?Today I was asked by a friend - why do you blog?<br /><br />I tried to explain that i write because i like writing - expressing myself without inhibitions and talking about whatever i want to say.<br /><br />However, he said(something to this effect) - You can do this even without a blog. A blog is public, viewable by everyone. You can maintain a diary for it. (Now, let me clarify. By diary he didn't mean the old-fashioned hard book thick books. )<br /><br />This got me thinking. I wondered why do I need to post on my blog? Then I got the answer - Everyone in this world likes to get feedback, appreciated, criticized even, by others. This comes from the need to be accepted in the society in which we come - to gel with it. Else, why would we do things just according to societal norms? The need to be accepted is profound in every individual and manifests itself in one form or the other. That is the reason why we have the social networking sites being the rage they are, these days. The constant need to say what we have in our mind to others comes from this yearning to be successful socially.<br /><br />PS: I am gonna advertise this post too ;)Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-57062765180526990952009-08-29T21:48:00.000+05:302009-08-29T21:49:52.916+05:30MeToday I found a new <span style="font-weight: bold;">Me</span>.Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-13397991712898965852009-08-22T20:44:00.000+05:302009-08-22T20:45:36.637+05:30My Pagalguy InterviewAn Interview I gave on Pagalguy.com<br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Here I go. Have tried to be as honest and non-diplomatic as possible <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br />Thanks for the questions Abhi. Really made me think. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br />--------------<br /><br /><br /><b>If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?</b><br /><br />Depends upon the perspective. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /> For me, if the final result benefits me, its a success <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? </b><br /><br />Maybe coz they want to laugh at the people at ground! Like others did at them <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_twisted.gif" alt="" title="Twisted Evil" class="inlineimg" border="0" />.<br /><br />Or maybe they are aiming to throw a water balloon. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>Worst injury you've ever had?</b><br /><br />Physical or Emotional? <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br />Physical - have had my right forefinger cut-off partially. (As a result of my own naughtiness though <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" class="inlineimg" border="0" />)<br /><br /><b>How will you define yourself in your childhood days? Naughty..innocent..or smthng else<br /></b><br />Very Naughty. I was known as the terrorist of the family <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laugh" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>Your favorite puy -male n female</b><br /><br />Male - I don't have a single favorite one. So, can't really write. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_neutral.gif" alt="" title="Neutral" class="inlineimg" border="0" /> And am not being diplomatic here BTW <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br />Female - <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/blush.gif" alt="" title="Blush" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>Special/unique about you</b><br /><br />I can walk on water <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/wow.gif" alt="" title="Wow" class="inlineimg" border="0" />.<br />Nah, just joking. I am a fairly normal person. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" class="inlineimg" border="0" /> May be the specialty is my simplicity. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>What is the strangest/funniest experience you've had here at PG?<br /></b><br />Funniest would be when rani_das used to be around on Shout Box. Miss her there. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/lookround.gif" alt="" title="Look Round" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?</b><br /><br />I wanted to be a police officer at 3. Don't really remember what i wanted to be at 10. I guess it was - a geeky,nerdy computer engineer. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_neutral.gif" alt="" title="Neutral" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>Your list of songs, that you play, everytime you get a chance. </b><br /><br />Papa Kehte Hain - QSQT<br />Here Without You - 3 Doors Down<br />Pehli Nazar Main - Race<br />Stairway to Heaven - Led. Zepplin<br />November Rain - G n R<br />Don't Cry - G n R<br /><br /><b>Most valuable thing to you is..</b><br /><br />My dear ones. Oh well, they are not "things" <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" class="inlineimg" border="0" />. So, its my bike, cellphone and laptop - in that order.<br /><br /><b>What would be your first question to the people of Antarctica?</b><br /><br />So, when do we start the Air-Conditioning Business? <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?<br /><br /></b>That I am very sensitive.<b> <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/crazy.gif" alt="" title="Crazy" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /></b><br /><b>What was the funniest incident in your college life?</b><br /><br />Well, we were playing this game of truth and dare in our final year sitting at a ice-cream parlor. (A huge group of about 30 people). So, one girl was given the dare to climb the road divider of a very busy road and shout - "main pagal hoon", 3 times. She did that. A really funny sight it was. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?<br /><br /></b>Doesn't matter what I think, right. Am not the one writing it.<img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /> Well, let me think of one now. How about this -<br /><br />"The colors and hues of a common man"<br /><br /><b>What is your first memory of "True friendship"?<br /></b><br />During my engineering days, i used to travel to my college from my home on a Kinetic. (A distance of 18 KM). Now mid-way, it got punctured and I had to leave it at a secluded place as I had an exam that day. After the exam, I requested a friend to drop me to that place. When I reached there, i saw that the back tyre was completely deflated and the vehicle wasn't budging even an inch. The puncture repair shop was about 1.5 KM far. We had no option but to lift the vehicle partially and move it in some way. Dragging, pulling, we made our way to the shop by which time we were completely drained out. I felt a great sense of gratitude for my friend. The reasons for that are:<br /><br /><ol style="list-style-type: decimal;"><li>We had another exam the very next day. Spending his preparation time for my task was amazing.</li><li>My friend had acute back pain even before the pulling. It only got intensified after that. It truly showed what friendship stood for. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" class="inlineimg" border="0" /></li></ol><br /><b>Whenever you feel enervated, low, or sad...what kept you going..or let me put it as your source of inspiration...</b><br /><br />My parents and the kind of sacrifices they have made for us (Me and my brother).<br /><br /><b>OK, so what's the speed of dark? </b><br /><br />- (Negative) 299,792,458 metres/second<br /><br /><b>Your definition, MBA</b><br /><br />An exaggerated phenomenon - furthered by people like us at PG <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_neutral.gif" alt="" title="Neutral" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>Why do you think Charles Chaplin is famous?</b><br /><br />Coz he dared to do something different and yet made people laugh - one of the most difficult things to do even with your mouth open. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Happy" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>How do you tackle stress and define stress?</b><br /><br />Stress is when you feel frustrated. I generally shout out at someone sometimes. (I know pretty bad :( ) I cool down after that.<br /><br /><b>What's your pet phobia? Do you have more than one? Name all of them </b><br /><br />Cats - They are sinister. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_neutral.gif" alt="" title="Neutral" class="inlineimg" border="0" />. Am not too big a fan of pets anyway. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>What would you do when you have learnt that your boat is out of oil? </b><br /><br />Run it on coal. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>Your Retirement Plans.</b><br /><br />Buy a villa on beach-side and live life like a king. Will have to find some insurance good enough to support this <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>If u r arrested on account of crime ,what it wud be.</b><br /><br />Threatening TV News Channel Heads to show "news". <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_neutral.gif" alt="" title="Neutral" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br /><b>How do you celebrate your happiness..</b><br /><br />By having something chocolate first. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Happy" class="inlineimg" border="0" /> Sharing the happiness with my family and friends. Going out on a quiet dinner and giving them all a treat. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/mgk.gif" alt="" title="Gronsieur Meen" class="inlineimg" border="0" /><br /><br />---------------<br /><br />All the above answers are true to the best of my knowledge. In case of any discrepancies, you are free to sue yourself. <img src="http://static.pagalguy.net/pagalguy/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt="" title="Monsieur Green" class="inlineimg" border="0" />Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-59606405661368725882009-08-20T10:52:00.003+05:302009-08-20T10:59:27.133+05:30Why?Why is it that we look for perfection in everything?<br />Why do we lose track of our goal sometimes?<br />Why does life seem so bland and tasteless?<br />Why do we do certain things we do?<br />Why do your loved ones act difficult when you need their support the most?<br />Why do we chase dreams even knowing they won't be fulfilled?<br />Why do we have to leave people behind in our quest for success?<br />Why don't I have my laptop when I need to post here? :(<br />Why is it that life throws up so many "whys" at us?<br /><br />PS: Will keep adding to this post. So please keep checking it regularly.Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-33528829477496484592009-04-27T22:51:00.002+05:302009-04-27T23:07:07.414+05:30A rambling, truly?I live for not too long<br />I glow in the moonlight very strong<br />I provide passage to others coming along<br />I indulge the lovers by providing music for their dance<br />I wash the rocks down with my splashes<br />I kill people sometime even...<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />-WavesSeriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-83199951927889497022009-04-06T23:37:00.002+05:302009-04-15T00:43:50.922+05:30Dilemma!!!The last couple of weeks have been a hotbed of ferocious activity for me. There have many instances and occurrences which have left me at a crossroad of many options.<br /><br />I now know what it is to mess your lifetime dream, what it is to achieve something which you only dreamt of - sometime back; and now looking at it as a tasteless victory which you have no mood to exult over. Of unknown frontiers to be conquered, of self-doubting anxieties, of guilt-ridden sentiments, of indecision, of...<br /><br />I really don't know why some people have it so easy? Why some people are never satisfied? Ah well, I wish I could just look into the future.Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-41253138058997019592008-11-14T00:04:00.012+05:302008-11-14T01:09:27.222+05:30Brand vs. ProductThe other day while participating in a certain discussion in the marketing class i found myself listening to as well as speaking the words "brand" and "product" far too often. However, what I realized was that we are not too clear when to use these words. This prompted me a come back and read a bit about this. Following is a result of whatever I have understood.<br /><br />A <b>brand</b> is a collection of images and ideas representing an economic producer; more specifically, it refers to the descriptive verbal attributes and concrete symbols such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme that convey the essence of a company, product or service. A <b>product</b> is anything that can be offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_%28business%29#cite_note-0" title=""><span></span></a><br /><br />To highlight the difference, I would like to put forth a recent example:<br /><br />The ShahRukh Khan commercial featuring Dish TV concentrated on portraying its features viz. pause live shows, get the language of your choice, movies that you like and so on. Here, there is no real creativity involved. The ad is plain vanilla informative marketing.<br /><br />However, the more recent commercial of "Tata Sky Plus" featuring Aamir Khan and Gul Panag concentrates more on talking to customer based on the experience from the perspective of a regular young couple which almost any middle class consumer can identify with. Thus, apart from providing information about the product to its target customers, the commercial is also successful in creating a long-lasting imprint in the viewers' minds - thus creating a better recall for its brand.<br /><br />This example highlights one very important factor. The product in both the cases is DTH technology service. Although there are hardly any differences in terms of the products qualities and features, there is a marked difference in the way the target customers perceive the product. This is clearly due to the way the brands have been positioned.<br /><br />So, on a broad level, we can generalize the some of the very visible differences between a Brand and Product:<span style="font-size: 24pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; color: white;"></span><br /><br />At a very basic level, a product is something made at a factory. (This definition, in today's world is outdated as a product today can be a service being provided). A brand is something which is bought by the customer. Typically, a product can be copied by a competitor whereas a brand is unique - its either there or not there. A product may be outdated very quickly whereas a successful brand may be timeless. A products may change from time-to-time depending on its life cycle stage; a brand typically remains consistent over a long period of time. A product is a more producer/seller centric approach; a brand is a customer centric approach.<br /><br />Typically, marketers yearn to convert their products into brands which can then be leveraged to get higher returns for their products. A brand involves a loyalty factor, thus making it very enticing for marketers to convert their long running products into brands. As a side note, one also needs to keep in mind that a strong brand can be built only for a strong product which performs according to the expectations consistently.Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-80054300876309740572008-10-14T01:47:00.002+05:302008-10-14T02:07:37.159+05:30A realm of my thinkingI got up today morning<br />thinking of her in my day<br />the presence of her in my eyes<br />the thinking of her moving along me<br /><br />the walk which i was going to walk<br />the sounds of her giggles around<br />the ruffling of the leaves by her footsteps<br />the naughty twinkle in her eyes when she winks<br /><br />the creation of my mind<br />something which is close to reality<br />but then struck a thought<br />if this could be true<br /><br />A thought then filled me<br />well, this is a dream<br />and i woke up with a start<br />to look into the hue...Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-48001016553956931292008-01-26T01:41:00.000+05:302008-01-26T01:48:37.880+05:30Taare Zameen parI watched this movie day before yesterday. (Too late, I know - But its always better than never :P)<br /><br />Anyway, my literary skills (ignorance) will not be able to do justice to the piece of art the movie is. Its almost perfect. Everything in it. From the acting to the characterizations to the relationships to the grounded reality to the heart tugging innocence.<br /><br />It is bound to moist your eyes atleast once. :) Please watch it if you haven't.<br /><br />I plan to watch it again :).<br /><br />PS: After the movie, the guy sitting beside me said that the movie was a documentary. Although, I know everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, but I don't know why i wanted to go and hit this guy . :|Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-14839926584298348572008-01-21T18:59:00.005+05:302008-07-19T19:55:05.520+05:30Politics in India - Another view"I want to be a politician". There was a few seconds long stunned silence when Manek said these words in response to the question about his future career goal. This was proceeded by a long round of uproarious laughter - so much so that the Principal had to move to the corridor to confirm if nothing untoward had happened.<br /><br />This is a scene which could be replicated across almost all the schools and the society with a uniform degree of similarity. Why is it that this career is looked down upon as a viable option in India? Why is it that the respect reserved for the Engineers, Doctors, Artists, Sportsmen (women too :-P), Lawyers gets evaporated when it comes to Politicians? Why is it that the students are not encouraged to pursue politics as an active career? Why is it that the Politicians evoke fear and anger in our hearts and minds rather than comfort and trust? Why is it that entering politics is considered dirty and a job of people who are from some other planet? Why is it that politics is equated to corruption? Why is it that politics is associated with illiteracy? Why is it that every child who dreams about being a politician is scoffed at, laughed at, and looked down upon? Why is it that people like you and me, instead of taking up the responsibility of doing something, simply take shelter in hurling abuses to the politicians?<br /><br />One of the reasons could be the current state of politics (and politicians) in our country. It could be because of the profile of the politicians currently practicing politics. Politicians in our country generally include a huge cross-section of criminals masquerading as social workers - in order to siphon off the resources of the country further. Not many of them are well educated. The apathy shown by them towards the populace of the country is a major factor in putting off people.<br /><br />Contrast this with the politicians in US; they have had presidents; almost all of whom have represented the United States in Wars. They are respected widely (exceptions are always there ;)) and are looked up to. It is generally the well educated set of people who turn politicians.<br /><br />Although, politics may be a ugly career, the youngsters of today should be encouraged to take it up as a serious career. The educated should be re-educated in order to take over the reins running the government so that India could be better for tomorrow. It is the educated who will make the difference to the thinking, to the policies adopted, to the people.<br /><br />Amen<br /><br />PS: I absolutely love my country. So, no need to think otherwise. In case this line still doesn't convince you, then you are free to comment.Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-61104585827263063412008-01-16T23:04:00.000+05:302008-01-17T00:14:56.955+05:30The effect of Mobile's Mobilizing the worldHow important is a cell-phone to our everyday existence? Ever wondered about it? Well, rather important if you may think a bit about it. A case in point would be the example of last week where i forgot to carry my cell-phone with me to office. By the time i reached home late in the evening, there were about 10 missed calls and 15-16 messages to be responded to. (I may be exaggerating a little, but :P). So this brings us to the pertinent topic at hand. Mobile evolution has revolutionized communications so much that even the most unexpected of people have cell-phones. Imagine my surprise when the other day the vegetable stall owner offered her cell phone number to my mom so that my mom could place orders through that. (Truly astonishing). So, availability of mobile phones with everyone now brings us to the matter of Mobile phone users which I have particularly observed over the past few days. They can be classified into the following categories:<br /><br />The Sabzi Wali(wala): - The type I have already talked about. :P They are those people whose new found sense of connectivity keeps them on cloud no. 9. Although, they rarely make any calls from their phones themselves :).<br /><br />The Student: - They are typically youngsters barely in their teens, continuously typing out SMS's. (Speaking doesn't give that pleasure mate :P. And yeah, Messaging is very cheap ;))<br /><br />The High-Flying Executive: - Investment Bankers, (some) IT professionals, Suave Businessmen fall in this category (I apologize if i have missed out someone). They generally own very expensive PDAs which are used for business purposes too. They carry a very important looking attitude and continuous keep fiddling with their Styluses.<br /><br />The middle-Class: - They, as their name signifies, have the Middle end cell phones, which they are fiercely protective about. Hell, i even saw a person actually keeping his phone packed inside a plastic cover. He had to remove the cover every time he attended a call :O.<br /><br />And if u don't fall in any of these categories, then you do fall in my category. :P<br /><br />One special thing i would like to mention is that, contrary to expectations, its not the Lower-Class or the Students who are poor at cell phone etiquettes. It is mostly the educated Indian class which is so poorly literate about Cell-phone manners that it sometimes makes me cringe. Some of the examples would include keeping the phone in loud ringer mode during important meetings, in cinema halls; speaking loudly in Public spaces causing inconvenience to others. I feel we need to learn manners before we are allowed to carry cell-phones. And a fine be imposed on people behaving irresponsibly with respect to cell-phone etiquettes.<br /><br />Hope i made some sense :P.Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-75111177002704685832007-11-01T23:28:00.000+05:302007-11-02T01:29:07.211+05:30Am i growing old?Well, the other day i was trying to call up my friend for some urgent important task. I dialed the number as i was calling from my landline. The first time the line was engage. I re-dialed after 10 minutes. It was again engage. I tried again after 20 minutes. Again, the same response. :O. I then got highly irritated and started hurling the choicest of expletives at whomsoever/ whatever came to my mind from the telephone exchange to the government to the friend in question.<br /><br />I later went to my room to cool myself down with a glass of cold water and some music. Just when i was turning on the music player, I realized that i had been dialing my own landline number since long. :O.<br /><br />God save me :DSeriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-91832514921816392702007-09-08T00:18:00.000+05:302007-09-08T00:44:02.271+05:30Why haven't i posted for the last two months? DUHWell well well... A realization finally dawned upon my peanut sized stupid brain - I have a blog which i am supposed to post on regularly. However, it too seems to be, like many other things/ people, an object of my complete sense of ignorance which well and truly signifies my current attitude towards life. Why have i been so insensitive and detached? (From my Mom to my blog to my friends) Well, the only answer i can come up with is... I am preparing for CAT (Whoa... CAT - supposed to be a monster of an exam). Well, that indeed cannot be considered as a valid reason my behavior in recent times. It is almost as though i am living in a world of fantasy where nothing else exists except for my preparation for CAT. Oh c'mon, whom am i kidding... CAT... I haven't even been scoring decent enough in the Mocks. What will i do on the actual C-Day? And come to think of it, why am i spoiling my life for one exam. It might have the power to alter the course of my life forever; however does my current behavior justify so? I don't think so...<br /><br />Anyways feels great to be posting after a long silence. (I just hope not many lambs were slaughtered in the meanwhile ;) ).Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-75798463061353765092007-07-11T11:25:00.000+05:302007-07-11T11:26:59.422+05:30What if god was one of us<center> <span class="txt_1">If God had a name what would it be?<br />And would you call it to his face?<br />If you were faced with him in all his glory<br />what would you ask if you had just one question?<br /><br />Yeah, Yeah, God is great<br />Yeah, Yeah, God is good<br />Yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah<br /><br />What if God was one of us?<br />Just a slob like one of us<br />Just a stranger on the bus<br />Trying to make his way home<br /><br />If God had a face<br />What would it look like?<br />And would you want to see<br />If seeing meant that you would have to believe<br />In things like heaven and Jesus and the saints<br />and all the Prophets<br /><br />Yeah Yeah God is great<br />Yeah Yeah God is good<br />Yeah Yeah yeah yeah yeah<br /><br />What if God was one of us?<br />Just a slob like one of us<br />Just a stranger on the bus<br />Trying to make his way home<br />Just trying to make his way home<br />Back up to Heaven all alone<br />Nobody callin' on the phone<br />cept for the Pope maybe in Rome<br /><br />Yeah Yeah God is great<br />Yeah Yeah God is good<br />Yeah Yeah yeah yeah<br /><br />What if God was one of us?<br />Just a slob like one of us<br />Just a stranger on the bus<br />Trying to make his way home<br />Like a holly Rolling Stone<br />Back up to Heaven all alone<br />Just trying to make his way home<br />Nobody callin' on the phone<br />'cept for the Pope maybe in Rome<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">- Joan Osbourne</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Need i say more?</span><br /></span> </center>Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-52203051010241053932007-07-10T11:15:00.001+05:302007-07-10T19:10:57.481+05:30My tryst with TT and the lessons it taught me.About an year back, when i had joined my first job, i developed a keen interest for TT (Ping-pong to some). This was partly because TT tables were available in abundant quantities in the office and I being the work-shirker, loved to while away time playing this game. One of my closest friend also liked playing TT a lot. So, everyday after office, we used to play for about an hour before going home. As we started playing regularly, i realized my '<span style="font-style: italic;">keen interest</span>' wasn't really translating into performance. I regularly lost to my friend who happened to be a female. Somewhere around this time, i got really frustrated with myself for losing so regularly. A thought entered my mind that I am losing to a girl. The (in)famous male ego was affecting me too. I was horrified. I prided myself to be immune from male chauvinism. But it had roared its ugly head on me too. Consequently, i became petulant and began snapping at her for no obvious fault of hers. Some days later i got involved in my work, and we were unable to continue playing.<br />A few months went by... My workload reduced and i decided to start playing again. So, i with another project mate of mine began playing. Being rusty, i lost to him comfortably. But this defeat hurt me like hell; even more than the time i played with my friend earlier.<br /><br />This whole episode taught me a lesson. I was susceptible to losing at anything. It made me cranky and i snarled at everybody and anybody around me. This placed my behavior in the right perspective. I was able to analyze that i am fiercely competitive person who doesn't like losing. A loss made me moody and bitter. It also taught me that i am indeed not a target of male chauvinism.<br /><br />PS: Did i tell you that my female friend is a college champ at TT :)Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-15796405753245006992007-07-06T16:24:00.000+05:302007-07-10T11:13:32.154+05:30Farewell ShrutiWell, this is my reply to your goodbye mail...<br /><br />I have known you for less than an year. But these few months that i have spent together in the same cubicle have been nothing less than memorable for me. My earliest memory of yours is of a person who walks in a very weird way ;-)...<br /><br />I am a person who doesn't make friends very quickly. But with shruti, i hit off so well that i never felt that i am freshly acquainted to her. I could share my fears, my thoughts or little PJs and so many other things with her without any qualms. Our tastes in music, books, and many other things are so similar that there was never any point of contention. We participated in the drama and the mad-ads having so much fun together - working on her practice of playing a donkey (which invariably won us the prize i must reiterate), the script for the play. I have many fond memories with her; of having a gala time at the leather lounge, of practicing for the dumb-charades, of sitting late till ONE AM one night... She lifted my spirits when i was down... Shared my happy times with me... Supported me when i was frustrated... Listened to my stupid talks... She was the first person who pushed me so hard to start blogging... (So its only fair that i write my farewell to her here).<br />And yes, she's sweet. ( Well, this is now beginning to sound like a testimonial on orkut)<br /><br />I have only one word for everything: <span style="font-weight: bold;">THANKS.<br /><br /></span>I'll miss you like hell... You are probably one of my closest friends... One whom i could trust and rely upon...<br /><br />-Deep<br /><br />PS: I'll miss you threatening to throw me out of the cubicle... :)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-24486764142459966822007-07-06T15:55:00.000+05:302007-07-06T16:09:52.779+05:30Countdown to CATFor the last few years, (in fact, since the time i joined engineering) doing an MBA has been on my mind, soul and almost my every third thought. My obsession has been such that i have been unable to concentrate and work hard enough in my job. I accept it; i haven't been exactly as sincere and dedicated to my job as i could have been. Nevertheless, its not that i have been performing poorly there. But yes, i haven't really challenged myself to excel at my work. Well, i would fully blame my mindset about doing an MBA for this situation. But i am not complaining.<br /><br />Anyways, the reason for this post is entirely different. It is to motivate myself to perform better in the CAT so that i can finally hold true my dream of doing an MBA from a premier institute. However, that looks a particularly distinct possibility now that i haven't even completed the basic prep whereas my Mock CATs are beginning from 8th July, i.e. this Sunday. I honestly confess that i have been wasting far too much time on trivial idiosyncrasies. (Won't elaborate on them here though ;-) ).<br /><br />So here i promise myself that i'll focus towards my ultimate goal of doing an MBA and work really hard. (Work my ass off, if that is indeed an expression).<br /><br />Cheers...Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-31591251497625098922007-07-05T12:26:00.000+05:302007-07-06T02:52:39.292+05:30Happy Bday AbhiToday is 5th July. Well, you may wonder... So what... This date comes every year. But, it is the date on which my little brother was born. He is probably one of the closest persons t0 me in this world. Well, i was only five when he was born. So, i have a little story about that time related to him. You might as well find it kiddish. But who cares, i was a kid at that time. ;-) Not that i didnt think that i was all grown up.<br />Anyways, I had close friend Teja (Not Paresh Rawal from Andaz Apna Apna). So, just an year before my brother was born, Teja was blessed with a little sister. Being naughty and notorious that i was, i was always on the lookout for troubling him and his baby sister. And he always tried to stop me from doing that as a dutiful and responsible elder brother. This led me to be depressed (Yes, you can be depressed at 4) at the thought that i do not have a younger sister to play with. Thus, began the thoughts of me too having a younger sibling. And thus began my demands to my mother. Well, as i thought at that time, mom caved in to my demands and promised to bring me a little sister home. Being ignorant of the child birth process, i believed the words my parents said- that they'll be getting a little sister from the hospital. ( I thought they sell children there... Dumb right). Anyways, about a month before my mom's delivery, they confided in me that i will be having a younger brother instead. Initially, my reaction was that of skepticism. After all, i had prepared myself mentally for a sister. And my brain finds it very difficult to adapt to such changes. (Its a slow processor). Anyways, i slowly got used to the idea of a brother. In fact, i even began boasting about this among my friends, especially to Teja. Finally, when the D-day arrived(which is today, rewinded about 17 years back) , i was all ready to receive my younger brother and play with him. My excitement had reached its zenith. Finally, after a wait of about a day, i could lay my hands on him. Holding him for the first time and placing him in my lap gave me tremendous sense of responsibility and care for him. This is the moment when i matured from being the naughty kid in the house to a more mature boy. (Well, the process wasn't exactly immediate - it did take a few years).<br /><br />Anyways, this post is dedicated to my parents who brought my brother into this world. And especially to my brother with whom i can talk about almost everything and anything, share all my stuff, share my secrets, share dirty jokes, shout at, ..... (Well, the list goes on and on).<br />All this stuff would not have been probably possible with a sister.<br /><br />HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABHINAV<br /><br />Cheers to your good health and long life.<br /><br />PS: I still miss having a sister though (Especially at Rakshabandhan).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-34580654569581278262007-07-02T15:24:00.000+05:302007-07-03T15:55:14.777+05:30Randomness in life.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M46TSh0__gu0kGlnskr5fE3zWv4tTc0yC2k6LWOkjMhWPLfa_VhHCohPJMGc_tBVYORIZ6cafhNcZJVd_YyT9h2_eHARaW-SYQsBBoWyvPgsF-tgw-izc7kkvPuGpmeZmWnddn4h4qd0/s1600-h/evolution.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M46TSh0__gu0kGlnskr5fE3zWv4tTc0yC2k6LWOkjMhWPLfa_VhHCohPJMGc_tBVYORIZ6cafhNcZJVd_YyT9h2_eHARaW-SYQsBBoWyvPgsF-tgw-izc7kkvPuGpmeZmWnddn4h4qd0/s320/evolution.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082914709881676194" border="0" /></a><br />Just the other day while i was waiting for a signal to turn green, observing many people going about their business, a weird thought hit me: <br /><br />We are all birth relatives by some way or the other. Coz the ancestors to all the human race are the same. We are all siblings as we have common root nodes to our family tree. And now we don't even care about anyone except for our nearest family.<br /><br />- Weird...Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-13286040004739867222007-06-24T23:37:00.000+05:302007-06-25T12:33:27.545+05:30Through the eyes of the beholderHave you ever thought what would happen if you had no eyes? Even the little thought about such a thing sends shivers down my spine. Eyes (vision) are among the most neglected parts of our body. (Well, atleast i don't take great care of them). We take them for granted. Do you ever wonder - what if you were blind? What if you had lost your vision? What if you could not see the beautiful colours of the world, all the breathtaking sceneries, the spectacular forests, the colour of the setting sun, the subtle differences between the colours of your clothes, the visual treat which you would be deprived of?<br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nhwIFbB5iuo"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nhwIFbB5iuo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed><br />Since watching the video, these questions have continuously haunted me. The innocence with which the children revel in the festival of colors, <a href="http://www.holifestival.org/">holi</a>, shows how inspite of being handicapped, we can still enjoy life to the fullest. And, here we are perfectly normal human beings cribbing about our looks, wealth, et al. Instead, we should be extremely thankful to god for bestowing upon us a perfect body with all the organs intact. We need to efficiently and effectively use them to give back something to the society.<br /><br />In essence, the video has persuaded me to pledge my eyes to an organization so that they can possibly be used to provide vision to someone else. (Wasn't this the objective of the video?) It has also given me the determination to pursue my dreams and work hark to achieve them.<br /><br />Lastly, the innocence with which the child asks for the colors brought tears to my eyes. (Which doesn't happen very often) Thumbs up to the makers for making a very sensitive and thought provoking film.<br /></object>Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-75157453339883753762007-06-08T11:56:00.000+05:302007-06-11T00:58:24.084+05:30Some Pearls of my wisdom<span style="font-size:100%;">First a little background:<br /><br />Being a S/w engineer, there are times when i am relatively free from all work and then there are times when i don't even have a minute to speak to friends(I sure must be rude to people who dare to disturb me at such a time). Such is the oscillation between boredom and "I cannot handle the work" scenarios that it tends to leave the cerebral part of my body in a hazy state. The following statements are the result of such a condition:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >"Solving a mistake may create another even bigger mistake"<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >"There are more people trying to pull you down than wanting you to go up. So, Effort >= force of gravity!"<br /><br />"The universe is only as big as your imagination; a problem is only as big as your thinking"<br /><br />"Wine, women and wealth - the three vices of (un)successful men"<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Disclaimer</span><span style="font-size:100%;">: This are only my weird quotes; which may of may not apply to all. Please don't sue me if they don't. :D</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span>Seriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742645324494768628.post-33882943207080224422007-06-01T11:17:00.000+05:302007-06-01T11:24:23.958+05:30NostalgiaJust happened to visit this link...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.braindose.com/dd">http://www.braindose.com/dd</a><br /><br />Made me really nostalgic; especially the jungle book song. (Which was the sole source of cartoon entertainment during the good old DD times).<br /><br />CheersSeriously Funnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997333461704464600noreply@blogger.com4