Take my breath take my breath ... away!

                         Closing lines of a popular number to begin this post....wondering? Well, I will share the logic a bit later but through this post, I just want to confess that having seen the profile of the faculty members who have been trying to drill some sense into our hard nuts since commencement of IVth Trimester, I cannot help but smile and bumble these lines to the EBS. Yes, one feels blessed to be in company of such experienced, learned and graceful company.

                  Coming to the logic part..... the concluding lines of the number have been used here so as to actually mark the end of this blog. It has been a fantastic journey of more than 50 posts and 3000 plus visits and it has been so one only  because of your support and affection. You ask me the reason for such a sudden closure and I have none; it is just that, as per my opinion, this is how it needs to wind up. All of us have come a long way since my first interaction with EBS well over a year ago. And the travel, with all its humps and lows, has been progressive and one signifying growth and maturity. 

                             I thank each one of you, my dear friends! May the journey continue sans this blog and may you all do so well that one day EBS is forced to turn around and whisper these lines to you ..."You take my breath take my breath ... away!"
   
                                  Adieu!

The Monsoon Wedding

                          In my thinking (its sanity being debatable), nothing can please an institution more than the fact that certain permanent relationships get created in its courtyards. So, here we are; just back from celebrations! Naudie and Deepika tied nuptial knot the day before. We wish the couple a very long and happy married life.....

        The Band-Baaza-Baraat took two days of festivities wherein many EBSians did show up to shake a leg or two. It was fun and a huge joy to see the newlyweds beaming with happiness. 

                However, the event also did prompt many students to say a thing or two about a very strange gesture made by someone when the news was broken in a gathering for the first time. As our BC faculty says, communication is 90% non-verbal........no wonder then that many people read a bit too much (entirely avoidable though) in that unfortunate gesture. But as the good times are on the roll, let us move and not really care..... opinions will always be there. 

              Let me wind up  by wishing the couple all the very best and that too on behalf of all you guys (the well-wishers only!)

                 

                  

Think Global; Act Local..... Avoiding ताण्डव!

                    Among many other events of different hues and shades that we have had privilege or misfortune (depends whether it was winning cricket world cup twice or unification of two Germanies or Sqn Leader Sharma in space OR Tsumani in SE Asia or WTC attacks or scams and scandals....and the list goes on and on and on!), our generation is in the process of witnessing a catastrophe in Uttarakhand. I say,'in the process' because no one really knows when the tragedy will get over finally. I am afraid it will be long after people of my vintage are gone because such scars (more because of inhumane acts than floods per se) take a lifetime to heal.....ask those who have survived the ordeal!

       

         Debates on TV and articles in print media notwithstanding, things have certainly gone wrong somewhere. Some blame it on the mad race to build dams and roads (globally accepted definition of development even though we ignore global safety standards quite conveniently), others see religious reasons like shifting of a statue. I am no authority and want to pass no judgement. Having been to such areas as a traveller, I would (though) confess that one usually got that sick feeling when one drove on certain roads in lower Himalayas. In any case, we need to look ahead and think of  ways to avoid such tragedies. And as a layman, I would go with what Tom Alter had to say a few days ago. He believes, and I support while I quote,"..let us, at least for next five years, do our char-dham yatra as it was being done for centuries before we decided to build roads there!" (I unquote, with errors and modifications) And why not! 

             A pilgrimage is a time to move away from material world, both emotionally and physically. Why attempts must be made to say hello to Gods directly after alighting from your SUVs and not otherwise. Having grown in the lap of the Vaishno Devi and having been there numerous times, I do feel the change. We would soon be, if all goes on as planned,  saying hello to Mother Deity directly after alighting from our vehicles whether electrical or flying! Pilgrimages, if believers are to be believed, are meant for fortunate ones who would be called by sitting deities to present themselves when the moment comes. Today, it is a matter of a few clicks on a website and some currency in the bank and you are ready to 'shout' right in the years of the deity. And yes, you do not mind littering, you do not mind indulging (see my post on Rishikesh..31 March(second part)), you ignore others' comforts and you do throw all courtesies to wind, you click pics where you are not supposed to, you ogle at fair sex and YET you are on a so called 'pilgrimage'.

          I may not be an orthodox believer; I may not see gods in statues and temples but I do feel HIM in my own way. But when, after having seen and having felt upset over all such happenings, I am told that it was cosmic dance of Shiva (ताण्डव ,ie), I tend to believe the rumours. In fact, sounding harsh as I may be, it was long over -due. 

          We must, no doubts, think global while planning developments, duly incorporating global standards of safety and disaster management. But not every area on this globe is amenable to constructions and blastings and we must have the good sense to accept such realities with grace because if we have the intelligence to overcome such hurdles, we must also possess the ability to assess the stakes that get thrown in and the likely costs that might have to be paid on a bad day. I do not intend indulging into facts and debates as to electricity produced at place A gets utilised where finally nor do I pretend to be Mr Know All. All that I would request my countrymen, the wise men ie, that while going in for world class projects, lets realistically assess local conditions and ground realities and then see if prevailing global safety standards can fit the  mosaic. And if any compromise is made with the safety and that too in a good faith, let us first create a balance sheet and see the likely costs that will have to be paid if the idea backfires. Ask me, I would rather remain cut off, would rather read in a kerosene -lit diya rather than usher in a culture where corpses are mutilated and survivors extorted in a land that is believed to be inhabited by our deities and gods. In any case, I will do everything to make sure that I am not made to witness the ताण्डव  that our generation has had the misfortune of watching helplessly as videos from the cursed hills descended on our computer and TV screens. I do not ever want to hear stories about what goons did to helpless victims in a land where Lord Shiva's गन  are believed to be roaming!

The Summer Inferno

                       The Summer Inferno (or did they call it Summer Internship?) is coming to an end and what an experience it has been! The place of the event, ie Bangalore (or Bangaluru as some die-hards would like to refer to it as) is not the one you would normally associate with high ambient temperatures, let alone being an inferno. So, it had something to do with the activities and experience. And if it were a sign of the things to come in the lives of most of us, life is gonna be one hell of a struggle for next few years.

                       

                        Looking at the positive side, there have been some great learning points too. One big lesson is that there are no free lunches in a party called life. Also, it would be our ability to apply rather than mug up theories that would see us through rough times and not-so-friendly climes. I am sure everyone of us have picked of lessons like this and this experience will not go waste. 

                              If I were to cast in my vote whether to have such an activity (internship, ie) or not, I will not think even once before voting for a "yes"*. And the * denotes the famous fine-print that invariably reads,"conditions apply". And my condition in this is that at least informally, lets refer to it as Summer INFERNO!

Decide Today

                   Hi guys, as we embark on our new leg of management training, ie Summer Internship, there is a small, little issue I would recommend for all of us to consider. Many of us are anxious about the upcoming internship that is being perceived as a long slog. Many others who have had some exposure to the industry in the past, do realise the difficulties young trainees face under such circumstances. There are others who want to play the ball as per its merit, leaving out worrying part as of now.

                  Well, all you guys are right in your own rights. I, however, have a small recommendation to make. It is today and not once the internship begins or ends that we need to decide how our experiences are gonna be. It is an event, rather a series of events lined up over next 8-10 weeks but the beauty of our minds is such that our decision today will decide how it is gonna be out there in the field. If we decide that it will be good, believe me, it will be good as well as educative. If we are pessimistic today, no amount of positive experiences can change the outcome that gets decided in the process today.

                    Someone has rightly said that it is important to re-arrange the furniture (beautiful, if fixtures too!) just before such an experience and everything will fall in place. Training, if done properly, enables us to be up to the mark as and when challenges are thrown at us in future. So, lets tell ourselves, in our own secret ways, that we are gonna enjoy a lot and come out of the module pretty learned, educated and more confident. The results will the, I am confident, follow the trend.

                        Wishing you all a very Happy Summer Internship!

Bliss ON!

             There are times when you just feel a kind of bliss in your surroundings, in your existence..... a sense of general happiness as they put across colloquially. Invariably, the associated feeling of being a bit clueless about the actual reason for such an aura surrounding you, adds on to the mystique of the whole phenomenon. And I say , 'a bit clueless' because depending on age and phase of one's life, one can always find a reason or two to explain the state of mind. So, to a youngster, it could be falling in love (even though love is independent of age, I am trying to be as close to the mean as possible!), for an oldie, it could be watching grandchildren grow and for the lot in-between, reasons could be in-between too.  So, as I key in these words, I am focussing on the general ambience and aura that set us off to our much awaited summer internships earlier today.

                   With 3rd Trimester winding up today, we are a freer lot, at least for a little while. With the pressure of exams over and with a little break ranging from a few days to a week and a half for most of us, happiness was bound to be felt but then we have been through similar situations on at least two occasions over past one year. This was, however, definitely different. The overall handling of the trimester and the fact that signing off was a bit different this time, leads me to conclude that it had something to do with the aura at Era these days. Whether it was generally handling of the trimester or breaks or exams or the informal chit-chat session to wind up the day or a keenly contested competition of a different kind OR a mix of all this....whatever it was, the end result was good. Just have a look-see at some of the closing moments..... bliss can be felt, I am sure!

                         (The Spitfires of EBS)

                Brings me to an issue that was discussed during the chat today. The key question was about the ease or difficulty that people generally face while opening up to others and whether it is humanly possible to share everything with someone or the other? And we had mixed responses: someone claimed to be like an 'open book' (open or closed, book needs to be read and who has the time?); someone else thought he was 'totally transparent' (and yet he could be seen...........not really like 'Memoirs of an Invisible Man'). Well, that was on a lighter side. My personal view is that even if we grant ourselves our obligations (related to our respective professions) to keep certain things to ourselves, it is still very difficult to be 100% open in all other aspects. Like someone said even though we are not counting the attitude or reliability of other people around us, the trend remains the same. I look at life and such issues as a circle..... a circle that begins with our birth and ends with our departure. And unless we have reasons to kick the buckets too soon, most of us will land up as oldies. They say that a person becomes a child again as she grows old. So, it is either the child or the oldie (practically a child again) who can afford to be 100% honest in her confessions. We do not have to conduct research to make ourselves believe that children are actually very honest. Just a look within our family or friend circles and we will feel the truth. As far as oldies are concerned, lets have a look at some of the most honestly written autobiographies/ accounts, our own dear Mr Khushwant Singh for example, and we can conclude that even though exceptions are always there and yet the oldies do tend to be honest. To everyone else, except children of two categories, life does not allow such a privilege.
                    Dilli is getting too warm.... time to run; run to a place known for its greenery and tropical weather even though traffic nowadays is a bit of pain there! 
                         SO LONG....! 

Counting the Blessings!

                     There are few things in life we tend to take for granted and, thus, generally find ourselves in some kind of a soup (recipes not being relevant here)! Be it our relationships or health or security...... and the list goes on. Then there are few more things that we possess but do not either know about such things or simply ignore them. One such thing is using our 'Common Sense', a virtue that is NOT commonly used. And yet there are few more things that have great implications but we, the lesser mortals, as a general rule, simply do not count such things since they are too small or too insignificant in our schemes of things. Small little blessings that we get when our kids hug us or when an unknown driver, whom you have allowed some space before yourself on a defunct traffic light, smiles back at you before speeding off or when you say,' Thanx' to an unsuspecting tea-stall vendor at a footpath and he looks back at you, wondering as well as amused at such an unusual occurrence. In general, we ignore the values of such gestures irrespective of their sources and reasons. I think that is why we encounter more frustration/irritation (and resultant constipation....ha, ha) than pure happiness on regular basis. 

                   Being an early riser, I am out of my niche at 0430h or so everyday. Today (as also the day before), I felt a bit of nip in the early morning breeze. Well guys, we are already in May! As a matter of routine, it must have been a situation warranting calls like 'May Day, May Day!'. But look at the little mercy from the Heavens..... on 02nd May, there is a bit of chill in the air. For a generation that thrives on modern day gadgets like ACs and Refrigerators, it may make no difference (especially so when most of us are lazy enough not to make an effort to feel such blessings) but think about those who neither have such luxuries nor have any other option but to slog for a living and we can see the difference. And of course, there are many more creatures who have no option but to rough it out during harsh weather conditions. It is not that summers will not come eventually (days are already pretty warm) but for such a small luxury, there is a case for each one of us to look up and give HIM a smile! And yes, time too to count our blessings.

                 Today is a break before a heavy weight exam tomorrow. Not a big deal, one may feel! But it has taken pressure off us. Most of us, as I know it now, were generally relaxing yesterday and we are in a better state of mind to take on some nasty equations and equally dirty formulae. Even though we might not have felt it, stress has suddenly reduced and we have probably added a day or two to our earthly lives. Another reason to thank someone and count our blessings!

                  Most of north India shook yesterday, third time in recent times; reminded me of devastations that I happened to closely witness in Kashmir (October of 2005) and Marathwada(September of 1993). I am sure all of us do realise as to what and how much can go wrong when Earth takes a deep breath or two. Fortunately, we have been spared any harm. I am sure you all will agree with me when I propose to look up and give that GUY a big smile!

                   May He give us many more such blessings and grant us the good sense of appreciating and counting such blessings!

Being Whatever!

                         It all started with "Being Human" campaign initiated by Salman a few calendars ago. Today, leading retail stores have special corners for this brand even though the numbers being sold off the pavements (obviously fake ones) outnumber the more genuine ones by huge numbers! But sale is not the point here today.

                Till a few months back, my FB id used to be 'Being AJ' (till the very end of last Leap Year; I gave up FB thereafter), even though it had nothing to do with 'Being Human' stuff. But again, that is not the point here today.

               It is 'being something else' that makes a huge difference in our lives and that is simply "Being Sensitive"! Ask any of the married ladies anyday and the main crib (besides many others, of course.... ladies will be ladies after all!) that they would bring out would be the fact that with the passage of time, their hubbies have stopped being sensitive! But even that is not the point here today.

                   The point being referred here is the attitude in our day to day professional dealings. I like to be kind to animals, I may/may not be as sensitive as a husband today (I would rather not investigate the matter for my own sake) but I must understand the need of being sensitive to people around me beyond my own family and neighbourhood strays. So, when someone called up yesterday, just to share the information that a pending point (attendance!) had been sorted out and the technical glitch had been resolved, I felt so very nice. A gesture that reflected sensitivity on part of the person concerned, really moved me. And if we were to actually look at the issues around us, including the hardcore professional ones, this attitude of being sensitive can really do wonders. I am sure the trend at EBS continues and we all imbibe the same as part of our grooming at EBS.

               While having a chit-chat with a colleague yesterday, we just looked at the changes that we have seen at EBS. The magnitude of such changes being irrelevant, many such changes have brought in happiness for most of us. Whether it was an effort to follow the timetable ruthlessly rather than opting for a softer option of changing it at the last moment OR it was the way Holi break was planned (compared with that of Diwali) OR overall scheduling of the curriculum of this trimester (so much more balanced) OR reacting immediately on receipt of a complain (Neelu would do better before placing Biryaani on the menu next time) OR increased tolerance towards dresses that Generation ## prefers OR more systematic and smoother conduct of the ongoing exams...(and the list goes on), things have been consistently changing for good. While there will always be cribs and complaints, such gestures, even though apparently small, mean a lot to most of us. No doubts then that we are maturing as an institute. And if this 'tadka' of sensitivity keeps getting stirred every now and then, the fragrance will only spread and so would the fame.

              Life goes on; exams or no exams! Today, one student walked in with a bar of chocolates in hand. Apparently, the 'best wishes' had been delivered to him just before the exams and being a great fussy eater that he is (his frame would show), he had opted to carry it inside the exam hall! Obviously, he was checked for the same. A few moments later, his phone began to vibrate when a faculty was, as latter put it across lightly, 'just two inches away' from him. It can safely be assumed that caller was again an important person! So, there he was - caught and relieved of chocolate; caught and denied the pleasure of receiving wishes from someone special. But then everything has a time and place and to his bad luck, both timings and venue had turned out to be wrong ones! The saving grace was the fact that it was a simple phone and no case of making use of technology to obtain assistance during an exam was made out against him. But for many of us who had been struggling with the question paper at that moment, the incident gave us a big relief.... things can always be worse...... (ha, ha, ha!)!

EBS Premier League

                          The official EBS Premier League got underway today. After the warm-up match on Saturday, fingers had actually been kept crossed, more so because of Eden Garden-like experience (you remember the World Cup fiasco of 1996?) with the same opponent last time. In the end, however, most of us came out looking pretty cool, if not happy! There could still be a few who might have faced some issues with the paper but then they may not find anyone else but themselves to blame. In any case, no single event or person or act can please one and all. Anyways, all in all a nice beginning to the round!

                              Today, while climbing the stairs leading to the examination hall in the morning, I was just thinking about different states of minds that people around me were in (myself included) at that point in time. Reminded of famous HSBC Bank's series of advertisements. So, same exam might look differently to many of us...

 or  or 

     thnx to roger wandell                       (layoutspark

and even this...  (dreamstime.com)

               Whatever may be the vision as we walk down to the pitch, it is important to take a deep breath and settle down even before the first delivery is bowled at us...................... All the Best guys!

Yet Again!

               Ni Hao..... aao aur jao! I mean, the oral test of Mandarin, just got over and weekend finally starts officially. With a marriage to attend and some guests expected, it is gonna be a busy weekend; not to forget the first written test that awaits us at 1030h, Monday.

              The scene outside the examination hall today was nothing unusual. Some students did not have the Admit Cards because it could not be downloaded (we are yet to come to terms with the avoidable clash between Google Chrome and EBS BB). Many others who were not even aware of the pre-condition of feedback (on faculty) before downloading the card, were at loss with the error message that they had been getting since appearance of admit card on our blackboard. Strangely, till as late as yesterday, we were not aware of any such pre-condition. And when the information was conveyed to us verbally yesterday, the attendance, understandably so, was already pretty low and message lost its effect. With an ERP in place, such a message could have been posted electronically. And then there were those who were simply lost. You see, with CB exam due next week and the pattern (case study has already been loaded and we are expected to face answers related to this case study in our exams) being such, some students, and rightfully so, have got the textbooks on CB issued. But in the process, they have got stuck with library clearance. There was at least one who claimed to have cleared all his dues but clearance had not been given to him. Since my own attendance of BC has not been modified despite repeated reminders over past month plus, I do feel bad about such poor souls. And lemme confess that there were a few stalwarts too and they were getting what they had asked for. No mercy for them!

       Communication, as it has been, appears to be the key again! It was pretty fascinating when someone walked up to us yesterday (while we were having our lunch in the cafe) and informally introduced himself as the person-in-charge of exams. It would have passed off as a routine thing had it not come after a half day long struggle on our parts to find out whether Mandarin test would be a written one or oral in format. Since we were not even aware whom to approach, many different 'wrong' people had been contacted and obviously, no one could tell us with certainty till that small interaction over the lunch table. Certain irritants, I am sure, can always be avoided and then a few others become acceptable! 

Killing the Guilt वगेरह वगेरह !!

              115 Steps over 45 seconds and across six levels - thats how I kill my guilt on daily basis these days. Post shifting of our classrooms to the 4th floor, this formula has been a great tool when it comes to killing the guilt. Guilt, as it happens on daily basis, arises the morning after! And before it overpowers you, there you are, at sharp 0810h, climbing the floors and kicking the guilt out! And I repeat it, generally three or four times in a day and keep killing the guilt that tends to get back to me every now and then. By evening, therefore, I am free of guilt and  ready for another round of indulgence. The guilt that would set in the next morning, gets handled in a similar way. One remains so grateful for such small, little mercies..... Merci!!

                 T-3 came to an end today, ie, as for as surviving long sessions and heavy doses of knowledge is concerned. Now is the time to perform or perish (latter being more likely this time, as far as I am concerned!) and the fun begins tomorrow.....Ni Hao! Looking back, it has been the most organised one till date, the trimester, ie. We had very few changes in the timetable (reminds me of one absent because of such a change + one because of someone sleeping over the issue!) and load remained more or less evenly distributed throughout the trimester. We (our own group) did have a presentation today too but somehow, it did not pinch. Students have small needs and once some compassion is seen on the other end, life becomes cool or as our BC faculty would like to refer to as something that is result of a positive psychology. This trimester, for the first time, also gave us a real good break during the festival of colours and herbal prasad! So, all in all, it has been a pretty fair one. If it is a sign of the things to come, we are maturing as an institute.

              It is also the time to finalise our specialisation subjects. A session was organised yesterday to make us all understand the methodology and the way final year curriculum would be planned. That was a good attempt but sitting amongst my friends, I have a point to make. The choice of selection of the field(s) of specialisation has been left to us (and that is a positive step). But many of us, as I have realised over past two days, are deciding to pick up a subject mainly because another subject is not liked by us. To cite an example, many of us who hate maths (read Finance), are opting for Marketing/HR just to avoid Finance! My way of thinking is that one must opt for say Marketing or HR or whatever field NOT because of hatred for another subject BUT for liking for a particular subject. The difference may appear to be pretty subtle but it matters in the end. In such a scenario, students are looking at their weaknesses and trying to find a way around such weaknesses rather than identifying their strengths and working to further the skills. A shift in approach is, therefore, necessitated. A way to address this issue could be, and this is my personal view, that after taking in the options, faculty may like to relate the choice of every student with her/his abilities or aptitude. By now, we all know  one another very well and faculty members know the best. So, in the interest of the future progression of the students as also that of image of EBS, such an exercise may be a step in the right direction. It can be further refined and fine-tuned by the experience that is available in the corridors of EBS and if found useful, such a system may be formalised for the future courses. In fact, looking back, I get a sense that had such a clause (similar to PPO clause) been there for us too, probably some difference might have been observed. But I generally prefer to use my windscreen rather than rear-view (unless use of latter is merited) and I am of the opinion that such an approach may prove to be good for everyone. It may not really mean a ceiling on the number of vacancies per field (that would be a retro-step) but people must deserve what they get!

                 Today, this blog completes 2500 hits and I am thankful to each one of you for being there and tolerate my musings! It has been a great journey and I hope to keep it going in future too. The very fact that instead of studying Mandarin, I am writing these lines, goes to prove as to how important is this log to me! Please do get back with your opinions and suggestions, as before! 

                All the Best Guys! Do well! As of now, Ni Hao!

On a Red Light!

                                 Red Lights (traffic signals) have dynamics of their own. There are  business opportunities for some (books/flowers/used tyres/sun-shades/ chargers/toys/dusters), Zero-investment-high-return  equations for few others (beggars/eunuchs/ oldies selling fishy looking aggarbatties, knowing well that no one will buy that stuff and most of us would rather give them some money), some questionable bargaining opportunities for many (cheaper toys/pirated books/stolen tyres/ flowers from who knows where!)and time to catch up for yet others (a quick call/call-back, a glance on the SMS/mail or simple fiddling with the FM). All this is 'almost' legal stuff.

     

                  Then comes the illegal part. Tendency to stop after crossing the 'Stop Line', honking even before the lights turn green and even jumping the red signal with a 'smart eye' on the traffic flow, waiting in the left-most lane but swinging sharply to the right as the lights turn green and, thus, obstructing the traffic, blocking the free turn lanes and taking a 'U' where you are not supposed to turn-around and so on. In some of such cases, landing up with a tactically located traffic cop is a possibility even though in big cities like Delhi, there would never be enough cops nor would be many self-conscious motorists (In smaller towns, there are different issues and traffic sense is worse in most of the cases).

                   Beyond such obvious details, there are certain other phenomena too. One such phenomenon is to observe (not referring to ogling here)and I have this uncanny habit of picking up the unusual. Like today, while waiting at the traffic signal that is located closest to EBS (NIT crossing), I happened to see a middle-aged man in his shorts and t-shirt, walking on the footpath. His dress and his demeanor did not gel though since he did not appear to be a jogger or walker despite his sporty attire. With more than 80 seconds to go, I kept on looking at the man with some inexplicable interest. The gentleman halted next to a tea-vendor (who sits on the pavement, without any roof or cover) and I realised that he was wearing bathroom slippers. So, he was certainly not out to gain health - it became obvious! Over next 30 seconds or so, he had a cigarette between his lips and a pouch of ghutka (tobacco laced pan-masala) in his hands. The vendor, obviously, knew his customer well. The macho-man, then, peeled off the pouch and emptied the whole sachet into his mouth, carelessly discarding the pouch on the road itself (I hated the last part the most). I moved on, coaxed by a honking car behind my back. Nothing unusual and yet the scene kept coming back to me even as I climbed four levels to reach the classroom. Was it illegal smoking in the public; was it dirtying the place; was it such an unhealthy habit that had dragged him out of his bed or what else was it? I am still not sure!

                    Writing about traffic signals, there is one phenomenon that makes me vulnerable time and again, more so after shifting to this mad city. I am not a person who drives rash or who jumps the lights but there are times when the yellow blinker comes on as you struggle to cross the stop line. Legally as well as morally, stop line should not be crossed after the green turns yellow but initially it used to be because of someone (with his/her tail on fire) honking behind me and now, more out of reflex, I have noticed myself crossing the line once in a while. Even though I always keep time-cushions and I am generally comfortable for time, the idea of moving on instead of waiting another minute or so, appears to be too tempting at times. This is a confession and I now pledge not to get sucked into the vacuum that gets created whenever Greens give way to Yellows!

A close Shave!

         RUSHING to drop Czia in the morning today, we had a pretty close shave! Actually, a speeding metro train ran over us; the only saving grace being the fact that it was running on top of the bridge underneath which we had been passing! Mercii Lord!

         I was just going through my mail today when I came across this interesting Jewish saying..... 

"A Jewish wife will forgive and forget, but, she'll never

forget what she forgave."

.........well, this could be as dangerous as the metro train episode. On a serious note, though, these lines hide a deeper meaning when we look at our daily lives and inter-personal relationships. What is better? To forgive and forget OR to forgive but not forget OR neither forgive nor forget! I think the lighter we keep the mass of our baggage, better it turns out for us. Not forgetting and/or not forgiving would only add some extra stones to an already heavy bandolier of ours. Having said that, how easy is to actually forget even if one decided to forgive! Debate can continue but sooner we got into a mode of travelling light, better would it be. Not only would our journey ahead become more pleasant, we would also have fewer irritants to look into every now and then.

              T-3 entered its last week today. Post exams that would be held soon thereafter, we would be off to our summer internships. For the uninitiated, it would be an education, and a real one while for others, it would be more like re-visiting the old pastures. I wish you all the luck for exams as well as summer internship (not, though, that I will not be here on more than one occasions before we say bye-bye to each other)!

          

    

Our Ancient Past and Distant Future!

                  The other day, while in the Economics class, we had been discussing nuclear reactors when I was reminded of an interesting article that I had read some years ago. Having grown up in the era when reading used to be seen as a normal hobby unlike these days when FB spells your state of mind (myself, being a non-user of FB, can be considered as an abnormal guy, for example), it was quite a fascinating experience to go through books on Bermuda Triangle and such like issues (The Chariots of Gods being an example). People, the world over, have been trying to find meanings of the things that beat scientific logic, for quite sometime now. While many discoveries have been made in the process, courtesy man's unlimited desire to probe and yet many issues remain unexplained. As the tradition goes, having given '0' to the world and having ridden high on the waves of knowledge (both material and spiritual), Indians have, for the reason not even known to us, taken a backseat for a while. So, left to themselves, many westerns have been trying to decipher such mysteries in their own ways. 

                     As we sat down discussing nuclear issues the other day, remembrance of that article suddenly came back to me as if as a reflex. The article had mentioned about possibility of our revered 'Shivling' as being a precursor to the design of present day nuclear reactor. Yes, there are certain striking resemblances between a nuclear reactor design and that of a Shivling. Both have that typical dome-like top, for example. But I have a slightly different take on the whole issue.

                    I am of the firm belief that our ancestors were pretty scientific and developed before some unseen event (or an over-enthusiastic researcher of that time, over-stepped his/her brief and brought a sudden end to the world, as it must have existed during that epoch). After all, no one can perform a surgery that results in successful attachment of an elephant head with a human body; a goat's head with another human being, for that matter. There are numerous examples in our mythology that can make present day surgeons/chemists/ scientists and so many other such specialists sweat for their money.

                    But I am also a firm believer of the fact that history  repeats itself, length of intervening periods notwithstanding. So, for me, looking forward or looking back into history are two sides of the same coin. Here, I would prefer to look ahead rather than look back in an attempt to decipher this nuclear reactor-Shivling relationships. At the face of it, both look so similar....

(from www.astrologyvastugems.com)                               www.guardian.co.uk

                                      And then is the common need to keep both these entities cool through running water. While heavy water is pumped to keep the reactor cool, a constantly dripping water over the Shivling is an absolute necessity too. Also, water from both the entities is not used elsewhere. In our religion, sacred offerings of all kinds are consumed as prasad, be it rat-tasted sweets at Karni Mata (near Bikaner) or marijuana like content of Shardai (used during Holi as also one of the prasads from Shiva). So, isn't it surprising that milk/water flowing down from the dome of a Shivling is simply discarded and not take/consumed as a prasad!

                      Snakes on/around a ling may signify security ring that is generally thrown around any nuclear plant. Also, let us not ignore the fact that both the entities possess extraordinary destructive powers even though they do possess some of the hugely beneficial and constructive powers too.

                         Anyways, looking ahead, I would like to believe that one day, some centuries from now (of course, if mankind survives that long), every settlement, if not every household, will have a miniature nuclear plant amidst itself. The energy-efficient future settlements as also homes, will probably take such things as granted too! Talking about the cycle of the history, I would also like to believe that there was, timeline unknown, surely an era when our ancestors did have such households and settlements where miniature nuclear plants used to be operational. No wonder then that most of our devtas had personal airplanes, capable of flying to distant lands/planets and solar systems without any aviation fuel/rocket propellants and such like fuels. We already have nuclear submarines in this world, one day we will have nuclear fired aircraft too. And yes, someone, down the line, will actually possess a personal nuclear plant that would be so safe that just a simple trickle of water will meet its cooling needs. Man, by that time, would have certainly forgotten about Shivling and 'ancient beliefs' but unknown to that learned man, a Power, as ever, will be lurking around. Amused by the arrogance of such a self-made man, that Power would witness the unfortunate event of self-destruction by such a man before the beginning of another cycle where Shivlings will be worshipped again. As said a little while ago, the history does repeat itself!

Rear View Mirrors and The Front Wind Screen!

                        Most of us drive our vehicles. Unless and until you are the one who relies solely on your luck or on the deity whose name you might have written on the rear windshield (rear glass as it is known too), you would be using rear view mirrors (outside and/or inside) a lot. Of course, for the mahouts who charge the roads with bulkier vehicles, there would generally be one or two additional rear view mirrors. Bikers of my vintage also liked both the rear view mirrors on the handlebar (I prefer to have four, including two on the leg guards) even though present day riders tend to have none. Whatever may be the numbers, the fact remains that rear view mirrors, even though very useful/helpful, can not match the utility of a windscreen (car) or that of a visor on the helmet (bike) IF aim of the man on the wheel/in the saddle is to move forward. Here, I would cite a quote :-

"The car you drive has a large windshield, but only a relatively small rearview mirror. The implication is obvious: What happened in your past is not nearly as important as what is in your future. Where you are going is much more important than where you've been. " 

                                                                   ~ Joel Osteen, Become a Better You

               I would take some literal liberty and modify this famous quote by JO. I would say that while past can not be neglected in absolute terms (nor it must be in the first place), too much of looking back does not help either. You will either bang into someone (ie if you look more into a rear-view mirror than across the windshield in front) or reach somewhere you were not planning to go in the first place. So, lessons must be learnt, some important data must be stored (especially when most of us are actually not able to utilise a huge proportion of the grey material that comes packed from top) and then one must look to the fore. 

              So, as I look back for the one last time at the recent events, I see some great lessons for many of us (I would leave the learning part to individuals lest Astha channel starts offering me a prime slot for preaching!). But even though there were some tense moments, there were also some great opportunities to assess true worth of many people. I take this opportunity to thank each one of you (you know it, guys!) who simply decided to stand by what they perceived was right! I am also thankful to one particular joker who exposed himself in the process. My counter-espionage trap was so simple but it did work! That stinking soul would do well to stay away (He knows it too!). So, some useful education on PR did flow through too. But I do not intend to linger on for long nor do I intend looking back too frequently. With my eyes set on the road and with my compass set on a course, as I press the pedal, I would do well to look ahead and reach where I wanna reach. 

                 Baisakhi is a new year of Sikhs (By the way, who am I? A northern Hindu Brahmin (by birth) or a die hard southie (my 22 odd years with troops hailing from that part of the country) or a Sikh (some of the most memorable moments, including a huge turning point, have been spent with troops who wear turbans rather than steel helmets!) I think I am a bit of all these and I would like to be that way. Coming back to the Baisakhi, it marked closing of a chapter while initiating a new one. So, it is the time to hit the road, look ahead and bash on. It is, also, the time to say Happy Baisakhi and move on.

                     Let Good Times Roll, guys!!

Deh Shiva bar mohe-i-hai.....

Deh Siva bar mohe-i-hai, shubh karman the kabhu na taroo 

Na daroo ar siyoo jab jah laroon, Nischai kar apni jeet koroo 

Ar Sikh hao apne hi man ko, Eh lalch hou goon tau uchroo 

Jab aav ki audh nidhann banay, Aut he rann me tab joojh maroo......!!

                  These lines, from Sri Dasam Granth, as composed by Sri Govind Singh Ji, never fail to inspire. I have a special fascination for these lines as a  print of these lines adores a very special place in our nest and it is on daily basis that I see, read and get inspired by these lines. These four lines have so much to say, only if we are willing to hear; otherwise, these are like many other hymns that people (with mind focussed elsewhere) tend to mutter as a part of daily routine. It does not need any special talent to understand what path is being shown for lesser mortals; location, context, ground situation remaining irrespective. Take any situation and apply it to see what option do you get and you will be surprised.

                     Why suddenly these lines? As you may begin to wonder lemme tell you that these lines, though being written for the first time in this blog, have been with me for long and 'we' interact with each other on daily basis. But yes, there is a reason for writing these lines here but before I elaborate on that, lets ask ourselves a simple question! What is an evil in the real sense? Is it a hand that commits a sin? Or is it a person who, say, does a sinful act? Or is it a person who is actually caught in an act and had he/she not been caught, he/she would have come out clean? Well, the answer is common to all questions here and that is in affirmative. So, that means that there is some central point inside every living being and it is there at that point that the evil resides. So, what do we call this point? Is it mind or is it heart? In India, we do colloquially use terms like 'black hearted' or 'evil hearted' and so on but the science believes that evil lives inside a penthouse, called brain. Now, as far as I am concerned, whether the evil (gender neutral) lives in brain or inside the heart or keeps shuttling between the two, it is important to identify this entity. Once identified, killing the evil is just a matter of detail. So, who is this entity? From little that I know from my experience, it is called, " Intent"! Unfortunately, INTENT has two faces - evilish and good! Readers of this blog being mature, do not really need any further explanations.

                  Going back to those lines now, evil can not win over good and when you go after an evil, you do not have to worry or wink because Good Intent (GI) of yours will always have an edge over Evil Intent (EI) of any joker, his/her stature being irrelevant. So, here I am.... got challenged by an EI a few days back. Yes, challenged! Though it may sound strange but it is nothing unusual, given the fact that when an EI has a fool as friend, the logic gets tossed off first because the entity called Logic (L) likes to live alone and does not leave its original path. But in situations when EI begins to overlook the L, L simply goes away. Thereafter, once EI comes to senses after getting bashed up (reminded of something very recent....ha, ha), it is generally too late. L would be seen but would be of no use and as the EI's ship begins to sink, rats are the first ones to jump off....... and the world watches! The EI that I have decided to take on, has gone a step ahead than usual! My personal property, I believe, is being manipulated to train guns on many innocent souls! But dear EI, I stand between you and the victims and I have GI on my side. We do not really have to wait for the results........ as these lines have always proved, GI will prevail over the EI.

                  I got something "from the desk of'' someone on 10th! I sent something back ''from my heart'' today! While 'from the desk' sounds very impressive (as if coming from 7, RC or White House), the fact remains that 'from the heart', even though humble and decent, can destroy wooden desks. 

                     

Have fun guys; at least I will live only once!

The Complaint Box

              This contraption has lots and lots of value....

              ..... so at least I was very happy when EBS installed this box in the cafe today. While youngsters were amused (e-mail users will not understand unless explained), I did, for a little while, wonder about the efficacy of the new system when the box is placed in an area covered by CCTV coverage. Its utility thus, while remaining a big question, needs to be increased by placing it in a blind spot. 

              Anyways, I was just going through a mail today when I came across this joke...

There is a group of Christians trying to paint the entire church white. At one point, they start running out of paint. So, they dilute half can of paint with thinner and finally paint the entire church. Suddenly, thunder roared, and God said, “Repaint and thin no more.”

( God said, “Repent and sin no more.”)

......... Life goes on (even though s*** may happen sometimes)...... have fun; keep smiling!

An intelligent enemy rather than a foolish friend.

                My roots go right till the other side of Hindukush Mountain Range in Afghanistan. Something today, incidentally, reminded of an old proverb that originated from that great land of Afghanistan, a country known for unparalleled tales of friendships and unmatched venom for enemies. The proverb goes like this..... "An intelligent enemy rather than a foolish friend" and another variation of the same that explains it better (linguistic barriers matter, you see!).... "A wise enemy is better than a foolish friend". More about it a bit later!

                     We celebrated my birthday by rafting down the Ganges (all 30 odd Kms of it) and that too despite the fact that frequency of accidental deaths during rafting there has suddenly gone up this year. I would share an experience that would justify such an act. You see, whenever the raft gets into a rapid, it starts bouncing around and for some brief moments, raft literally remains in air. During those times, when you try to use your oar, many a time, the oar completes the swing without touching the waves or water. Such moments illustrate the power of wild nature and likelihood of man getting defeated in the process. And defeat generally translates into something fatal too. But every time that kind of a challenge was faced, I could feel the excitement building inside (techos would call it Adrenaline Rush) and as we fought and fought and managed our way out of whirlpools, a sense of satisfaction would begin to set in. Such feelings can not be explained in words........ and the fatal attraction continues even today!

                      So, a person like me, with a kink that makes me face and enjoy challenges, a few things come naturally. Some wise man said once that a warrior must know his adversary..... someone, despite all projected brilliance in management, just erred on this aspect today. And as I try and re-construct what would have happened in such a disastrous decision making, the first para of this post (on top) gets applied...... as Doyle sir says, case studies must be related to theories and I have done that simply. Fun has just about begun!

Shooting da messenger

              

        Ever heard of the phrase," Shooting the Messenger?" Well, in earlier days, well before Shakespearean era, this metaphor meant something like  lashing out at the blameless bearer of a bad news. As the time progressed and warfare got modernised, commanding officers followed this code by not harming enemy envoys and messengers. In today's world and more so in the management world, a derivative of the saying took birth in wherein persons tend to blame media, this blog for example, for presenting contradictory news/views about a subject, issue, person or establishment. So, while  shooting a messenger may be product of an insecured mind who can not digest the fact gracefully and prefers to target the messenger, such a stance leads to information black-outs. (credits for picture venitism.blogspot.com)

                   Shooting the messenger may also be a kind of a tactical move (rather 'strategic' move as self styled strategic managers like to call it) but a certain fallout of such an attitude is a trend wherein ethos of non-disclosure may actually set in. The affected populace is generally intelligent enough to understand such a trend and start to hold negative feedbacks. So, the KING continues to live happily with a great degree of self-delusion.......!! 

                       Coming more closer to my skin...... There was some ugly scene created in the cafe yesterday while I was away. I believe some oblique references had been made towards my blog (that appears to be the trend here). I wish I could be spoken to rather than sending a messenger with a freaking hope that I would shoot him. Lemme clarify a few issues once for all:-

     1.     I, and only I (Ajay K Raina) am responsible for each and every word that is ever written here. So, if my writings ever cause some justifiable pain in someone's mind or sole, I am the person who should be spoken to directly. I do not fall into the silly traps of messengers and shooting them.

    2.     Barring a few incorrigibles, every one is a friend in my batch. Close door meetings at personal levels with an obvious aim of driving a wedge between students, are as useless as such childish efforts are laughable. But yes, lemme confess, such issues give us reasons to laugh out loudly, LOL as they call it!

     3.       Sudden increase in words like "Suspension",  "Legal Team" and such like threats are pretty amusing and equally laughable. Students are already (and always) under stress; if we do not laugh at such words, at least a few of us will get into depression. People need to understand that. Threats have never worked.

     4.      No wonder then that the system is working through close door apologies to parents of some student, arm twisting of another  to seek certain details and attempts to create friction amongst students and so on. If only energies were utilised in a positive manner, EBS would be better place to study and impart education. I only hope that strategists do appreciate the fact that same templates can not be applied with everyone and good sense would prevail in the end.

                   

The Inept Faculty

          Hi, came across this news article in print media today in the morning (here is the link.... http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/88-of-IIT-B-students-say-professors-inept/articleshow/19435098.cms ). A sad story in itself, to say the least. Whatever may be the reasons, as cited in the survey, it reflects poorly on our education system. If such a thing can happen in the premier institute of the country, we can only imagine what would be the state in many other institutes that are being run as money making enterprises. At least at IIT, faculty had to devote time both to the teaching part and the research work; what about the scenario wherein faculty is employed in a multi-tasking mode. Needless to say that at the end of the day, students suffer, their parents suffer and this nation as a whole suffers because of such practices. 

          When people take pride in blowing their own trumpet and say that ' My institute has got X number of Ph.D. faculty members', they tend to compare such facts with some institutes that may (for all we know, may not be) be lacking such a profile. But you ask a student and he/she will tell you that when it comes to the teaching (and more importantly transferring knowledge), stamps (read qualifications) do not matter at all. A Ph.D qualified person, invariably, will be good at research as also in knowledge but there is no freaking guarantee that he/she will make a good faculty whose primary job (IF) is to impart quality education to the students who, in any case, are the biggest stakeholders in any given educational institute.

             While at it, I am reminded of someone making tall claims about growth of an institute...... ''We are really growing'' or words to that effect. Funny it may sound but the fact remains that if size (or quantity or sheer numbers) were the parameter, a junkyard will always win over a jeweller's shop. What are we looking at? In an over-populated country like that of ours, it is no big deal to gather 110 heads and then claim growth even though 20 of them just leave of their own volition. 

                     Winds of change are sweeping across the country, though not very obvious to those who choose to remain blind by choice. Sooner the system changes itself, better it would be or else day is not far when all such hi-fi institutes and 'stamps' will be trashed.

                Our beloved EBS blackboard was OFF yet again. Starting Friday, we kept on banging our heads against an unseen wall but to no avail. No big surprise given the fact that a small correction in the attendance record of a student (read me) who had been erroneously marked  absent by a faculty way back on 20 March 2013, has not been made despite a written request to the faculty who had promptly passed on the information, duly recommended to the person concerned. 

                      Someone has started a facebook group titled 'EBS Confessions' recently. Reminds of similar groups of many other institutes ranging from Harvard to IITs to IIMs and many others. Great work! I am not on facebook but I have seen and heard about the same from others and it looks and feels like a great valve through which pressure gets released.

                      Weather is warming up and exams are due at the end of this month. It is literally heating up slowly and steadily. Time to preserve ourselves for the  work ahead!

                        Take care!!