Yes We Can

Barack Obama’s campaign was about ‘Change-yes we can’. This blog is not about Obama or anything, but how the world sees change. Are we in a position where we can say ‘Yes we can accept change easily’?

This is a story about an average engineering student. About a person who hardly has done anything significant in the class for the first two years of college. One of those guys who come to college, sit through the class, sets for home. After two years, he decides this is not the way to go about things. More activeness in class is essential. He has no intention of being famous or something, but only the desire to enjoy the second half of college life more.

For this, he tries to impart a bit of humor in his daily activities. He tries to be friendly with everyone in class. Stays back in college till late involving himself in some activity or another. So far so good, but let’s see how his classmates interpret his changed behavior.

We say change is inevitable, change is the only constant in life and things like that. Let’s see how well we accept this change ourselves. Coming back to the guy in the story, everyone now tells him “Tu bahut badal gaya hai yaar” constantly. His actions are suddenly seen in a different way. Even if he makes a simple joke or a prank in front of a girl, he’s labeled a tag that of a ‘flirt’. Big time flirts in the class do lot crazier activities than this, but nothing will be talked about them. We think that is anyway expected from regular flirts. This is something new to talk about.

Now, for this changed guy’s increased cheerfulness in class, another theory is put forward. He’s so happy and merry. He must be in love with someone. This has changed him maybe. This is what love can do. Crazy little thing called love, isn’t it? I believe this logic is crap. People who put forward this theory also do know that. But everything is fine if it adds up to form ‘masala’, right na?

Why does every action this poor guy does be accounted only as one which he’s doing to gain popularity or fame. Can’t anything be done purely for the sake of pure joy or unselfish happiness? About some things done with no real plan or motive in mind. But naah, you are the ‘Changed guy’ and new bakra, and everything you do can be twisted and told in a manner which raises a few eyebrows. Some people know exactly what I mean here.

Moral, once you’ve formed an image of a studious person or of that of a cool dude, society paints a picture of you that way in their minds. Anything that changes in the picture is suspicious. That adds to creative rumors and crazy stories about the person. Like if the cool dude suddenly starting to study all day long or the nerd playing football all day long, people will not accept that too easily. 'Kuch toh jaroor hua hai'.

The one thing that this guy now needs to do is to believe in himself. Believe that he has changed for the better; ignore what the world says for a while. Give time to people for digesting the change. Eventually all the pieces will fall into the right place. It’s just a matter of time. Matter of time before we are ready to say ‘Yes we can’ to accept the change rightly.

Oye it's Friday !

Before you try guessing about what this blog is all about, i'll tell you that it's not about Farhan Akhtar and his show. It's about something much bigger. Something which millions of people in this world eagerly wait for. It's about a day, it's about Friday. For most, it's about keeping work aside for a while and giving entertainment a chance. Unless you have joined some stupid coaching classes to screw the fun. I exactly know whom i'm talking about.

Fridays this semester were different atleast for the 'L clan'. Call it Oye it's Friday or TGI Fridays(Thank God It's Friday) or anything which you can associate Friday with. Started with four people wandering at Andheri station and thinking what to do, this activity has popularised to quite a good extend in college. Though i must warn you, it's strictly by Invitation Only.

It's about going to Andheri station, having street food, juices, Ice-cream whatever you wish. Not a big spend, atmost fifty bucks. Then we find a good quiet place to start a discussion. A discussion about how the week was. About the latest happenings in the college(Read happenings not gossips). About what's right and what's wrong. About the week that wasn't. About forgetting the old and turning a new leaf. Then signing off together at Andheri station.

There was more to fridays this time. College festival second day was Friday. The day of Fashion show and Musical Band. The best day of Space probably. Then on one of the Fridays, we waited in the Amphitheater singing songs and Gaurav playing the guitar till late near the Bhavans lake. Such a great entertainment. I attended a marriage in Nagpur wherein i had never met the bride or the groom before, and ended up having quite fun. Made some friends there too. It was Friday the13th.

On another of Friday the 13th, we had our results. The rumours of result coming were on a month before actual day arrived. Eventually the rumour turned true on this day and people started getting sms of result being out by friends. The running lecture was called off and eager people ran like crazy to see the result. For a better picture Click Here. Fortunately the result this time was good and the profs hadn't given kt's to many people like me who were expecting one. So again a merry day. After results we headed for Juhu Beach. Everyone in a cheerful mood, the after result enjoy mode. We ended up playing Dog and the Bone which i still think is a wonderful skillful game. A crowd of around 50 people had gathered around seeing us play. Believe me, I'm not exaggerating, this is true.

Finally this Friday, on one day's notice we went trekking to Karnala Fort near Panvel. It's a fantastic fort, unlike other commercialised forts, it has no proper stairs, no hawkers selling Cucumber or Chaas, not even water. A walk through the jungle hearing different birds sing. Variety of flora and fauna well preserved as heritage site. Lizards crawling trees, monkeys, snakes, bugs of a hundred types, honey bees, dense bamboo trees. Never felt we were 10 kms from Panvel. Felt so far away from concrete jungle. The sight from the top of the fort. Just brilliant! See Photo.

Just be sure to eat something and carry lots of water with you. There's absolutely nothing on the fort to drink or eat. Nothing on the way during the 90 mins trek either. Like Bear Grills of Man vs Wild, Anand roaming through the wild, found a tree with the fruit 'karvand' on it. It tasted very nice. We ate a lot of it. Until all our hands went sticky. Due to the dense trees you don't feel the heat either. It's quite an undiscovered destination must say, but very nice. After reaching down, we realised it's Friday again and started hunting for street food at Panvel. I'm sure gonna come here again. What a place! All of this for just 90 bucks. Money well spent. Wonder how Friday's are really economical. Maybe there's something special with Fridays and me. I love them. That's the day which really keeps me going through the week.

Lest We Forget

Few incidents happened lately which i would like to share...

A month ago, i was waiting for the bus at Andheri station at around 11 pm. A student standing at the bus stop opened his wallet and looked extremely worried. Worried that he had 3 rs less than the usual fare to reach home. He was asking people around for money but nobody would listen to him. This time of the night is really the time for creative beggars at the bus stop cribbing that they have no money. People thought he was one of them. With nobody willing to help the student, i gave him the money. He was so pleased that finally he could reach home by bus. He smiled at me and got into his daily bus.

A couple of days ago, i was standing at Amboli bus stop. I saw someone coming hurriedly towards me. He offered me a ten rupees note. 'What for?', I asked him. He recollected me that i had paid him money to reach his house a month ago. Something which I had forgotten about.

Similar incident happened a year ago. I was on my bike waiting for the Amboli Naka signal to go green. A person with a laptop in his hand asked me a lift to Laxmi Industrial Estate. His car had got a flat tyre and no rikshaw was seen empty for a while. He pleaded that he'll give me 50 bucks if i want and he had a very important presentation to deliver. I was already 20 minutes late for the lecture, but said chuck that, I'd help this guy. I took him to his office place, declined any money he offered and said that he should run through to the presentation place.

Sometime back I was waiting at the Amboli Naka for auto toward the college. A car stops by me. The window rolls over and the same person whom I gave the lift to Laxmi Industrial Estate asks me to get in. He drops me right upto my college entrance.

These two incidents really touched me. Not because i got help in return, don't care about that much. But because these people remembered the people who helped them. How often do we do that. Very often we want help, seek help, but how often would you remember people who helped you. Try this for example, when you want something from someone, you make him a hundred calls to get it done. But once you got the job done, no calls, nothing. It doesn't happen intentionally I agree. But it happens.

So many 10th, 12th students have come up to me for carrier guidance, how to score in CET, which books to refer for IIT. Which classes to join. But not a single person outta them has ever come back to me saying I got admission in this-this college. Nothing. I don't know what the hell they are doing currently, cracked up JEE, got into NIT's whatever. Just goes to show how crazy the phone rings when you've got questions you need answers for and how it ceases to ring when you actually get the answers.

I am not mad at these people. I am to an extend thankful to them. They taught me something. That is to never forget people who helped you. To call them not just when some work is to be done, but also when that work gets done. A small change, but it can make a hell lot of difference in my own small world. Last few days i've realized that i've really failed to acknowledge a lot of people for helping me out lately. They might have noticed that as they read through this. I am feeling really bad about it. It's the one thing i want to never stop doing. Remembering the ones who help.

L clan

In the last blog, i wrote about most of the points which would normally associate with the so called "Loser Clan" of engineering. I re-read the blog again as a neutral person who probably knows nothing of engineering, and the blog seemed to put engineering students like us in a bit of negative light. That was when i thought i should probably make my views about 'L clan' a bit clear.

'L clan' is not a group of individuals who are just pissed off with engineering, running away from the hard work in college, borrowers of all materials. Living on the edge, hanging on to the rope, delaying everything till the deadline comes scaringly close. Cramming stuff into their head to fill in the papers and knowing nothing the day after. Sure, we do this, but there's more to us.

Is not that the 'L clan' hates lectures, infact they are the ones who attend in large numbers when lecturers from outside come for taking good seminars. It's not that they have stopped questioning in lectures because they have no interest in the subject, but for there's no one to give satisfactory answers. They end up getting poor marks just because the crap system expects the problem to be solved by a particular method only. No concern how correct your method is. The system doesn't care how much you've understood but it does give a damn to how much lectures you've sat through.

Every member of 'L clan' is in with a purpose why he's chosen not to take the regular path of 9 to 5 college and the sincerity that comes along. Some who see a much bigger dream than engineering like some sport, or maybe future entrepreneurship option, or dealing with technological things beyond the books. Or best, the people with leisure who have within them great painters, excellent photographers, good marketing skills or amazing leadearship qualities to manage college festivals. ' L clan' is highly responsible for success of most college festivals. It requires people who can work day in and day out without caring about attendance, without caring much about the time of the day. Most of the participants in college fests for that matter are 'L clan' people.

Here, there are people who wont mind going to Pune for going for a seminar on Game Theory, without knowing a word. There are the people who can fill in seminar halls when there's no one else attending and embarrassment of the arranging committee is to be avoided. People who can roam all through Mumbai to bring in Money for college festivals. People who take the pains to come to college during peak exam time, sacrificing their own study time just for the joy of their friends in faring well in their exams.

I admire the 'L clan' for variety of reasons. The fact that it adds so much energy and color to engineering life. The intense debates that we come up with in the quadrangle that we never realize how time goes by and clock strikes 10 at night. The people involved almost forget that they've to travel from one end of Mumbai to another after this talk.

Sometimes there are clashes, differences of opinion, misunderstandings and all, they exist everywhere, don't they? But it's so amazing that how quickly these people with one intense discussion in the quadrangle of college, speak out all that is there in their minds and sort things out. There is no greater feeling of unity or happiness in a group when the dark cloud of misunderstanding disappears and people begin to look through the clear glass. It's so good when people speak out what they feel is wrong than they keep it to themselves.

When i think of ' L clan' the thing that always comes to my mind is the alphabetical blocks that we played with in our childhood. Particularly the 'V block'(for victory) and our 'L block'. 'V block' has to be held by hand otherwise it falls down and forms a shape of 'L". The 'L shape' with a bit of push from one sides makes it look like 'V'. I guess it will take just this little bit of difference for 'L clan' people to turn the tide and emerge successful. It's just a matter of time and finding the right opportunity before everyone picks up the tumbled 'L' and holds it such that it takes shape of the victorious 'V'....

Dedicated to the 'L-clan'. Membership still on. Conditions apply. Must know the 'L clan' official dance choreographed by our own Gaurav.

Random things about engineering!

These are the random little things which are very much a part of every engineering student by the time he's in third year. Didn't put much thought into it, but you'll agree on most of things i feel. Do add more to it!

• Attention span---Even the fiercest of the warriors who could battle the dullest of the lecturers in their lives till 12th grade, would find it difficult to concentrate in some of the lectures after two years of engineering. My attention span has been ridiculously low for this sem in college thanks to the wonderful insight of the subject these people provide.
  
• A Guiltless state--- You are not guilt about so many things. Not guilty about thrown out from the class, not guilty about completing assignments day after deadline. Not guilty coming at 10.45 for 10 o clock lecture and asking attendance. Many more things..
  
• Best invention----Thinking about the best invention for engineers, the one that comes to mind first is the time machine... oops ... err... sorry... The Xerox machine. We spend ridiculous amount of money in 4 yrs xeroxing stuff. Now-a-day's all journals are xeroxes too. Life made easy.
  
• Exams, here I come----After giving so many engineering exams, you are ready for anything in life. Any subject, buy a book, ask syllabus, buy question papers, make few phone calls and excel. So much prepared that tomorrow if you're given a book on 'Human psychology' of 400 pages and told that there's a test in 4 days, you'll surely clear it.
  
• Bird watching---As a engineer, this surely develops as one of your major hobbies. Should I say more. Just that it's interesting only outside the campus. Quick Pj: Girls are also interested in this activity. But the ones that they watch are actually real birds.
  
• Attendance---You come to college daily, go home always late. Are seen around the campus most of the times. Yet, your name shines with florescent color on the defaulter's list. Maybe they don't really take attendance in the gymkhana do they?
  
• Vivas--Here's the fun stuff. Say any crap, but say it confidently. Never show a tinge of worry or fear on your face. Never will you fear vivas again.
  
• Borrowing things---You are in college..1 assignment pending...Deadline today...No assignment sheets...borrow...open bag...pen not working....borrow...pencil...oh wait i have....shit, no lead...borrow...By the time you are deep into engg, you stop using erasers. If any error, manipulate it by adding few strokes of pencil here and there...things like sharpeners are passe...No Stapler.... borrow...no pins...wait...again borrow...Udhaar ki jindagi.
  
• Manipulation---If you cant get it right, make it right. So many things come here. Program gone wrong, take xerox of the one which works. Experiment not working, show on paper that it's working. It started with me quite early. First chemistry practicals, all we needed was a pink ppt. The closest anyone got was orange. Mine was blue, miles away. Saw a pink chalk lying nearby.Put a piece of it inside test tube. Next moment, prof is telling the entire batch, this is how the output should be.

Dont spill your beans !

On the way to my native place all alone, i thought music on my phone would be my only source of entertainment. But i was a little more fortunate when the person next to me was trying to strike a conversation. He was a guy around 5 years elder than me working in some reputed firm.

Back from vacation in Singapore, he was a very happy person with lot of stories to tell. By looking at his face, it was quite obvious he wanted to be heard. He started describing his tour from the beginning. Right from which airline he chose, what does a plane look like from inside, everything including minor details. I kept asking him questions from time and again and he kept replying them. Never did i give him a clue that i have been to Singapore and ten other countries, to the extend that long distant flights make me sick.

But why kill someone's enthusiasm, why kill someone's story? If i had said i'd been there, the story would have been over and my journey would once again depend on the songs in my mobile. Sometimes, you just should not spill your own beans. Besides, i was also making someone happy by listening to his story. Why would i stop that? Maybe i'll learn something new from what he says, maybe i'll not, but that didn't really matter. After that i also got to hear his version of the "Life in IT industry".

At times lately, i'm trying to implement this 'not spilling of beans' technique more often. I missed my college trip for this year. When someone comes to me and says that "Have you heard of a certain story that happened on the trip." I reply saying 'no' or 'i've heard in parts' so that i get to hear the different version of the same story from the other person. It makes the other person happy that he's got something to share, and i too get twists in the tales if any.

Hiding your story and keeping your mouth shut also leads to entertainment in some cases. Take for example this one. Now, I don't really believe in Astrology, Numerology, Palm Reading, Handwriting anaylsis and other such crap. To believe that the position of far-off plants like mercury, saturn etc at your time of birth determines how your future's gonna be doesn't seem logical to me. Stuff like adding or removing letters from your name to favour fortune...Wow!!(I have nothing agains't people who believe, just a personal opinion)

Neways coming back to what I was writing, i've been to reputed astrologers with friends who trust them for generations and listen to what they say. I go to them and ask only one question, when will i get a chance to go abroad. I've got answers like at the age of 30, after 45, one of them said never. I looked worried in front of them, turned around and laughed!

This incident in my junior college i'll never forget. During the college chess tournament for seniors, there was a guy who was telling time and again that he went upto the quarterfinals of the university tournament. He apparently lost with some guy in round one. Later on, when i talked to the guy who won, he said to me that he had won the same tournament in which the other one was in quarters. Sometimes better to keep your mouth shut and laugh i guess!!!

Travel Companions

You been with your school friends, junior college mates, college guys. You begin to think that you’ve figured them all out. Go out for a trip together. You’ll see them in different colours. The ones they are actually made of!!

Being a frequent traveler and traveling with different group everytime is fun. Every journey has led to meeting people of different taste. These are some prominent types of travelers I’ve come across.

1. The loner - This person, even if in a large group, likes to be alone for most of the time. He seldom talks to other people, sits alone in a corner. At tourist places he/she likes to wander alone. He never really is a part of the group. During journeys, he’s stuck with I-pod/ Music Player/ FM radio into his ears. Likes to be lonely thinking something on the beach when all the group is playing beach football.

2. The Boss—He’s the type of person who’s always busy in issuing commands to people. Usually when I go for trips, normally I’m the one taking all the initiative, getting all hotel bookings done, tour bookings, cab rental and stuff. These people just give orders. Sanket bring me tea. I take the initiative so what. I am not a tour guide whose traveling free on your money. Go get it yourself. Probably this could be a better answer to this people but why spoil the trip mood.

3. The initiator—These are the people at the heart of everything. They are the best kind of travelers you’ll ever meet. Always ready for work. Ready to find a hotel in an unknown city when rest of the group is feeling tired. Ready to walk an extra mile to see another visit point. Ready to bump out of the hotel room earliest and plan the day tours.

4. The entertainers—Very essential part of the traveling group. These are the guitarists, flute players, people making Donald duck voices and other such talents. Without them the fun quotient is not quite upto the mark. They keep the liveliness intact even amongst the most boring parts of the journey.

5. Camera Lovers---Two kind of people come into this category. The first ones are the one who like clicking photographs of almost anything. Always busy at clicking something or the other or Video shooting. They like to keep memories I see. Sometimes, in search of these memories, they actually fail to enjoy the moment. Memories are fine, but temme the last time when you saw the 2 GB photographs of the last tour you went. You would rather enjoy the calm and cool sunset instead of being worried about capturing the exact moment of sunset on your cam. That’s again a personal opinion. The second kind of people here are those who love to be clicked themselves. At every spot, he/she asks someone, 'meri yahan pe photo nikal na'. These people need not be photogenic either. And yes, they have to be in every group photo.

6.The Chatterbox---You sit next to this person in long train or flight journeys. They have lots and lots of stories to tell, lot of topics to discuss. I’m sure you wouldn’t get bored. The chatterbox would find someone who listens to him and he’ll be happy and your friend for rest of the trip(Some people like listeners, just as this blog would like readers).

7. The Critic--- Some people derive immense pleasure in finding faults in most of the things and speaking them out. In a perfectly well organized trip, they’ll keep finding little shortcomings. One more thing that these people love is to compare this trip with the previous ones and say how that one was better and things have worsened. That Simla is not the same that it used to be.

8. Late latif---Always late. Tell them to wake up at 7, they’ll be in bed till 8. Every tourist spot, they are late. They never really value time. Without doubt they are the worst travelers to be with. You need to be with the group, not ahead, not behind. That’s the idea of a good travel group.

9. The crybabies---They’ll always cry to get what they want. Cry for the window seat. The ‘I don’t want to go to this place’—Cry. “This food I can’t do with, I want proper restaurant food”. Basically they don’t really adjust to the situation and try to turn things to their favour.

10. The everpraiser--- They’ll see the place. Praise the place. Then praise the organizer for showing them such a beautiful place. Then thank the crowd for accompanying them to such a beautiful place. They’ll praise the food even if it’s average. Trust me, there are people like this who still exist in this world. I remember in one of the tours, a person would call me ‘Sirjee’ for the entire tour. I initially liked that but was pissed off at the end of the tour.

And if you are not one of the above, you are the aam-aadmi who’s forgotten at the end of the trip. Try to acquire one of the above characteristics so that you are remembered by everyone on the trip. Maybe for the good reasons….-:)