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)!