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!!

As the weather changes

                  

      Lethargy, drowsiness, being lazy, finding it difficult to kick out of the bed........ such a phenomenon sets in every time season changes in the first quarter of the year. And no one gets hit more than the poor students who simply look exhausted and spent...... my heartfelt sympathies to the faculty members who would be finding it difficult to spot some eager, keen and attentive faces these days.

        But look at the great intelligence and sense of timing that the person(s) who invented Navratras had way back when the ritual began some millennia ago. I am not an orthodox when it comes to religious rituals but any one would appreciate the fact that such a system of fasting during these days, when body metabolism leaps towards bottom, actually leads to a very balanced process of detox unless and until one goes over-board and fills oneself with all those fried snacks, sweets and  sugar-loaded fruits in the name of fasting.

            Talking of fasting and those good'ol days, I would share something hillarious that I stumbled across a few days back....... (pictorial additions are mine.....keep smiling guys)...:-

What would happen if Mahabharata were to happen in the present era.... 

 

1. Kauravas would have starved to death with only 6 subsidized LPG cylinders for 102 of them. 

2. When Bheem meets Hanuman, he would hand him T-shirts saying, 'Being Hanuman,' and then run him over.

3. Media would target Shree Krishna as Dwarka was in Gujarat. 

5. Duryodhan would get Draupadi arrested u/s 66A of IT Act for updating her FB status; "Andhe ka putra andha hi hoga."

6. Draupadi would have been sobbing in a Satyameva Jayate episode.

7. Nandan Nilkeni would go mad during AADHAR data collection at the Kaurava household.

8. India TV headlines will be 'Draupdi ki saaree ka raaz, khulega Aaj, theek raat 8 baze!

9. TV reporters will ask Bheesm Pitamah on the bed of arrows: "How are you feeling? Kaise lag raha hai?"

10. After 13 years of Vanwaass Pandavas would have turned into Naxals.

11. News channels would pay millions for exclusive rights for live telecast of Draupadi's vastraharan.

12. Abhimanyu would have got the GYAN that getting out of Chakravyuh was easier than booking a Tatkal ticket on IRCTC."

13. Aishwarya would've replaced by Draupadi in L'Oreal shampoo advt. "5 problems, 1 solution."

14. Sanjaya would have minted billions by selling satellite rights for the kurukshetra war.

15. Barkha's show would be renamed: 'The Yudh Stops Here'; Sagarika's: 'Face the Yudh' and Arnab's: 'The Yud Hour'

16. Only ND Tiwari will come close to upsetting Dhritrasthra's record (number of children).

17. US would be begging India to share the Dron'e technology with them.

18. Lord Krishna will be Political Guru & Shakuni will be Management Guru.

19. There would be a 'Justice for Kauravas' campaign by Civil Society at India Gate against Pandavas for massacring the whole family.

 

20. Pandavas would have had to shift frequently because DLF and Jaypee Group would frequently take over jungles for housing projects!!!
(pics courtesy google/picasa)

        Keep Smiling!!   CHEERS! 

Burning Rubber over the Weekend!

            First thing first.... a big thanks to EBS for planning the weekend! I am sure no one would mind an extra class or two in lieu of the opportunity that we all got over an extended Holi break. 

               There were Holi celebrations planned on the eve of actual festival at EBS. However, neither myself nor Grizzly could wait that long as 600Km drive awaited us in an hour or so. But then friends can produce magic at any moment. So, while others ate lunch and waited for formal congregation, these buddies pulled out colours from nowhere and there we went....                 

Yaaro, dosti badi hi haseen hai!

Mutual trust has no language!

         It was a long drive, longer than expected because of the delay in getting out of New Delhi. Too many vehicles with impatient drivers on the wheels and an ever-decreasing road space and there we were stuck in a touch-go traffic even before breaking free. Eventually, it was well past 6 that Grizzly began to fly. A late dinner at Ludhiana and we drove in at 0430h. A short spell of rest and time to get wet and then sozzled in some lager, some special herbal pakodas and shardai/thandai! Slept like a log thereafter!

         A big yawn and little later, back on the road..... heading towards Golden Temple! One of the places one feels like paying a visit time and again and yet again. It was Pooranmashi, though clouded, and fully crowded....

Long wait had a consolation in form of a friendly weather.

 A panoramic shot!

The cousins!

Langar can not be skipped!

Another view!

Grizzly had a crowd to accommodate

The magnificence!

The impact!

Where there is positivism, every thing flourishes.

The changed angle

The holy procession!

          Three days of travel (of course we came back to Delhi) and 2200 Kms of rubber burning..... the extended break comes to an end!

Beats Logic

       Yep, it does! Three deaths in as many weeks and YET we went for it...... Rafting Down the Ganges had been on our agenda for long. Last weekend, that also included my birthday, saw us going for something more than a simple joy ride of 30+ Kms at Shivpuri. In fact, the launch point at Marine Drive Point is a few Kms short of Vyaasi while the final landing is at Rishikesh.

          In line with the existing trade practices in our country, many operators offered to take Czia on the raft but the guy whom we finally hired, humbly declined such an equation. Having done it, lemme share (rather confess) that it is risky for a 5+ years old, especially, when rapids chuck the raft all over and heavy bodied people like us tend to get thrown out of the raft. For a light-weight object like a young child, it would be too risky; yes, riskier than a bike ride through some of the highest passes in the world.

          We did go in for camping too, just to let Czia re-live the experience (after Nubra camping holiday of 2011)....... but it was pretty disappointing. The standard is simply not there. All the camps along Ganges, irrespective of their looks and locations on white sandy beaches, lack the basic qualities that every camp ought to have. So, we too lumped it since that appears to be the trend. Some pics to do the talking>>>>

An unending fascination towards water, Czia gets hyper once close to water!

We used to live in this colony once upon a time (1998-99) at Raiwala........ got a chance to refresh the nostalgia

World is developing at a maddening pace but this little army station retains an ol'world charm!

Good Morning.... outside our room, touching the balcony!

Grizzly smiles whenever it is time to hit the road!

.... and so does this little traveller!

Good to look at but pretty useless..... camps at Shivpuri!

Putting up a brave front; our daughter awaits our return..... mom has her own worries!

Can not wait!

 The best part....holy dip whenever you start to feel warm!

Being a front guide takes its toll but every time you fight with rising rapids, it feels like heavens!

A vista

With her grandparents to look after her in our absence, she spent four hours in water; on our return, the fun continued till it became dark and pretty nippy!

Chill time!

Good idea...but instruments need improvements.

A group of youngsters left its mark...... this is the reason why such lowly camps also get good business!

One more example of recklessness!

Day 3 : a holy dip at Har ki Paudi!

Suno toh ganga yeh kya sunaye!

Identifying with an idea.... at Patanjali, Haridwaar!

A simple video of a simple stretch...... only being s guide on a raft can give you the real experience!

Allzwell that endzwell...... Bam Bam Bole!

कोई ताज़ा हवा चली है कहीं !

A few things to cheer..... see this pic to the left! Not bad! EBS going places (or places coming to us).... good news!

Next is the timetable for the next week! Wow, what a change! Our sincere thanx to all those who saw the benefit of the poor community called Students! Even though many have already left Delhi, others will now have enough time to move out after classes on Tuesday! Cheers!

              And not to forget that fact that most of us finally got to meet Mr Rahul S; the wall-clock is back and some note of the ink on the board has also been taken! All this augurs well for all of us at EBS as we move on with life, letting bygones be bygones! 

              These guys had a ride of their lifetimes last weekend. Their deeds have motivated us to follow their footsteps and kill the desire that has been lingering for a while....

                 
                                So, the next post would follow once we are back from Rishikesh!