Wine Appreciation

Wine....the drink of the classy ones..the cool ones...the studs..and so...Lallan, Minzy , Gupta and Yours Truly proceeded to a wine appreciation and tasting event one bright Sunday afternoon. Our GRAND entry, sandwiched 4 in an auto, created quite a stir in the refined environs...all full of bada bada gaddi's and gaddiwale in hats and shades. But then...screw them...we had paid for our ticket just as they had!!!
As Da would have said....."FIC"

We had some starting trouble...you see..not knowing the wines....not knowing what to ask for..but then Lallan got the ball rolling with his "Livewire" act...and go getter attitude..making the guys at the counter clean his glass after every sip of some wine...and spitting and pouring away the contents every now and then..a true blue pro.

12 noon – 1 pm ( 20 odd samples): We started off well….listened to the session on wine appreciation and did all the right things…like swirling the wine, sniffing at it a lil and taking a small sip and trying to identify the walnut, pineapple, oak, orangy..fruity…and other flavors….
Gupta had not had any breakfast, so he started gobbling the complimentary bread given along with the wine. Lallan drank cos he thought wine was non alcoholic….after tasting about 10-15 wines, he started feeling funny and that's when we told him the truth. He stopped drinking and started cribbing about how hungry he was.

1pm- 3 pm( 50 odd samples): That was only for the 1st hr and about 20 odd samples..then we stopped tasting and just started drinking…. Minzy tried to show off his newly acquired knowledge on wines ( post the appreciation session) by loudly commenting on the texture and body of wines while in the earshot of some hot chicks. We loudly commented about his Insurance Salesman job :) I also won a bottle of white wine "Chenin Blanc" in the raffle. I was made to stand on the stage and give a thank you speech…which I did in "high spirits'. Was kicked off in a hurry.

3 pm- 5 pm( 30 "bada" samples): Sampling stopped and boozing started. By now, the people serving wine started recognizing us…so instead of small sample quantities, they started filling our glasses to the brim.

5:30 pm: Lallan drove me home…

Thankfully none of us were wearing IIM I stuff, so the IIM I name still stands untarnished :D

New Camera- 1st Snap

i know..i know....been away for long...and the only excuse is LAZYNESS ...

will be back...but for the time being..here is the 1st snap with my new camera

btw..thats not me :)

Moooooooombhai !!

Mumbai is awesome...if you have a lil money in pocket...an inclination to spend it ...and awesome frnds to help you do it !

I drove down with my flatmate...PP...in his new car...

One thing is for sure...E Boy has definitely NOT lost any of his E Quotient :)...apart from all the E Stuff he unloaded on me, he took me to this great place on Charni Road...its called Crystal...an old world, rustic, quaint lil place ....ghar ka khana types...bahut daba ke khaya.. The best thing about the place is the atmosphere...old wooden chairs...and tables that are about to fall apart.....old 40's 50's music blaring in the background from a set which must have been the in-thing during my great grand dad's school days...feels like a different world altogether...MUST VISIT place for sure..and it definitely doesn't burn a hole in your pocket :)

One should read Shantaram before going to Leopold's....helps you really appreciate it...i must say..it definitely lives up to its image...beer...girls...foriegners...girls....astronauts...girls....the place was awesome..

Some more E and that was the end of day 1 !

Day 2 started with Medu Vada Sambar.....then down to Bongo's and Bambi's house and a lil shopping gossipping gyan session with the kids..and then we proceeded to watch the Kingfisher Open Tennis Tournament,,,,was awesome watching a match in person..1st time i am doing that....and the crowd was good and smart and somewhat hot too :) 250 rupaiya vasool kar liya :)

and after another E Dose before i slept...my Bombay trip ended :)

Bombay is different...u get to the see the entire spectrum of humanity...the have's and the have not's..the palatial homes and the humble hovels..the rich and poor...and the thing is that one is forced to mix with them...that's where i think Mumbaites get their special character...they accept everyone...there is no separation of the classes...and u learn to accept everyone, from every walk of life..

Current music fav: Ajab si from Om Shanti Om
Current hot chick: Deepika Padukone
Current Book: Malgudi Days by R.k. Narayan

The Movie Experience !

Chak de, India!!! ...AWESSSSSSSSOME...a must watch..i loved this movie, sooooooooo much, that i eneded up watching it twice over the weekend.
But this post is not gonna be a review of this movie...thats been aleady taken care of by critics. This post is about the movie experince, or rather, the lack of nowdays due to the multiplex culture.
I saw this movie at Inox 1st and then at a small place with just the one screen...WestEnd..the place where we watched all our movies during 1st and 2nd year engineering.
The experience was simply amazing....what the 150-200 rp ticket at a multiplex does, is screen the crowd, and put you in a theatre with the so called " refined and cultured" junta. But do u really wanna watch a movie like Chak De...silently sitting in your seat, clapping politely when Komal scores a goal, or do you wanna watch it at a place where people scream and jump in joy when there is a goal, catcalls and whistles all over as we see Sharukh get the better of everyone...a place which makes you feel as if you are a part of the script, a real, live spectator to a real, live hockey world cup final. The choice is yours..pay 250 bucks towatch it in a sterile envirnoment, or pay 60 bucks and mix with the masses & enjoy the movie .

Ashes...........

I don't know what title to give this post...its not a obituary...its not a description of their lives...its just a little piece about two people who were part of my life

Neha and Nitesh, i cant claim to know you two very well...

Nitesh..you stayed on my floor...a couple of rooms away. A silent guy, we have had quite a few discussions about acads and life in college...and i remember how we drenched you with hot water during the first water fight we had with your batch. We were never close friends, but still, the bond that holds all of us together at IIM I still binds us. I wish such an unfortunate tragedy had never occurred..i wish i had gotten to know you better...but then...
I wish you are at peace....and i pray for your family to have the strength to bear your loss.

Neha..bubbly ..effervescent...mischievious...always taking my case about my singing skills after you once heard me screaming in my room..or imitating my dance moves....my first memory of you is at the morning PT class during your 1st month....you were a total " natakbaaz" even then...trying to wriggle your way out of PT, making all kinds of excuses. I was hoping to meet you when i came down for the Alumni meet...

Somethings are just not meant to be...but i am honored to have been part of your lives, having you guys as part of mine. You will be missed...but i know that you will always be part of the family we know as Planet I.

Polotical Whims and Fancies

"Mayawati to demolish premier sports complex in Lucknow"

That's how my day started..reading about another ridiculous act by our politicians. When there are a million productive things for our politicians to occupy themselves with, they still pursue such stupid and trivial things. Stupid because it defies all logic and common sense and is totally self serving.

Apparently Mayawati wants to pull down the Sports Complex and build a memorial for her mentor Kanshi Ram. What an idea !!! The sheer absurdity of this renders me speechless....these are our elected candidates....we put them there to work for us...what utter crap !!
Mayawati: If you want to build a memorial....please feel free to do so....spend your ill gotten crores to buy some land and commission some artisans to build a "larger than Statue of Liberty" of Kanshi Ram or Dr. Ambedkar....don't waste our money on it

Gymming Pain

My arms are hurting, back is sore, neck isn't turning, calf is burning, chest is on fire.
Aftereffects of 1 day of josh in the gym.
Yes....Siby is sweating it out...and enduring the pain and lack of sleep as my gym partner had the brilliant idea of working out at 6:30 in the morning.
Gym management is full of sadistic b******s who enjoy watching you grunt and heave and make funny noises while you try to push a measly 5 kilo slab of iron around, with some Mr. Bulging Biceps who probably could bench press a baby elephant standing over you, smirking and watching condescendingly and saying " super" like a stuck record. How i wish i could punch him square in his face when he adds another 10 kilos to my 5 and then sit back enjoying the show. But then, i am going to gym to build, not break my body...so i just glare at him malevolently and grunt some more.

Girls have it so easy..just put some powder and lipstick and Lo...Behold...HOT GIRL...not like us poor guys who have to sweat it out for their benefit. I wish..........

Revenge of the Cat

After living in style at the company guest house for a couple of weeks...and going through the painful house hunting stage where we and the broker took turns driving each other mad, we finally settled on a warm 3 BHK row house in Baner.
Along with the furnishings and other fittings, we got the owner's pet cat free in the deal. Now this cat is really crazy...the moment you open the door, she darts in and then refuses to get out of the house....will constantly mew and mew and mew....beg for food...do the Puss in Boots act ...sleep on our couch and get in our way..she even managed to trip us over a few times.
She has no respect for us and doesn't get out of the house when we tell her to..hiding in the most remote nooks and corners of the house when we try to throw her out. So we decided to take firm action.

She usually waits just outside the door... waiting for us to open the door so that she can dart in. So yesterday,i just stepped out..sugar talked her into my arms and then launched her into the garden. After a couple of high velocity- high altitude launches, she understood that there was no way i was gonna take her inside..so she struck back. When we came back from work...our waste bin looked like it had been hit by lightning..everything scattered around the front yard and torn to shreds.
WAR !!!!

Today's launch specs:

Expected time: somewhere between 9pm -10pm
Launch Velocity: more than 11.6 km/sec
Payload: 1 stupid cat

Launch will be captured on video for posterity

Dont know what to call this

What pains me the most is to see a person who has so much potential just lose it all, lose focus, drive, energy, ambition….hope. I just hate feeling that sense of resignation..the passive acceptance of “fate”…
We can never take full credit for what we are…we are what we are cos of the influence of millions of things, family..friends…location..accident of birth…and our own effort is but a minuscule part of what it took to shape us to our present state. I feel so frustrated to see close friends just waste away their entire future....maybe they didn’t get the right kind of support at the right time... all of us have had moments of despair, when we think all is lost..and then ..someone pulls us through..maybe they didn’t have that someone.

Whatever it might be, hope is never lost…we have to realize that there is always another chance…what is life without struggle? May God give her strength and the spirit to fight on!

Check this out !

The Gap

Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.- Jawaharlal Nehru

This speech to the Constituent Assembly on 14th Aug 1947 still gives me a strange feeling..i don't know what that feeling is..pride..patriotism..hope...despair...its a weird mixture of all those. I have read this particular extract hundreds of times and i still keep going back to it.

There was a time when we Indians appreciated the gift of freedom..the privilege to make our own decisions and the honour of helping make this country a great one. Where has all that emotion gone...have we become so indifferent towards the progress of this nation that we spent more than 200 years to free? What has changed?

Politicians no longer enter politics out of a sense of duty to their fellow Indians...regionalism is gaining ground...corruption is rampant...the red tape stifles us..the guardians of law and order are not in order themselves...the judiciary is at loggerheads with the government....license raj is over but now its quota that rules....power and money are the only things that matter anymore!
Who is to blame? the politicians? the police? the administration?

I don't think so! We..the indifferent ones with the " chalta hai" attitude are squarely to blame for this mess. How many of us exercise our franchise? How many of us think twice before paying that bribe to the cop? How many of us accept pathetic service with silent resignation? How many of us still do not pay our taxes? Why do we have this colonial hangup that makes us feel that we shouldn't expect the best..be it product or treatment from others? Why do we indulge in senseless violence and meaningless "bandhs" all the time? Why do we even remotely consider religion a factor in making any decision when it should be merit? Why do we suffer those who do?

I don't know why i am indulging in this kind of a diatribe...its just not me...i guess its cos i happened to read this speech...and was saddened by the fact that in spite of the amazing talent and strengths that we, as a nation, possess, we are still spiralling down.. out of control.....saddened by the thought of what we could have been ..and what we are.

Monsoon

Monsoons are for riding your bike in the rain enjoying the spray on your face
Monsoons are for sitting in your balcony with a steaming cup of coffee and hot plate of pakoda’s looking out into the rain
Monsoons are for curling up in your bed under a warm sheet and not waking up
Monsoons are for some quiet introspection
Monsoons are for catching up on your reading
Monsoons are for having a romantic candle light dinner with your girlfriend
Monsoons are for trekking in Lonavla
Monsoons are for Jhingalala after losing in a game of cards
Monsoons are for being cruel to animals ( ;) Shreyan would know more about that)

Monsoons are DEFINITELY NOT for sitting in your office staring at the computer and missing out on dinner !!!!

Stalked !!

Has it ever happened to you? The feeling that there are that things happen to only you and no one else….

I have always been at the receiving end of weird occurrences…be it having the experience of getting a lift from gay drivers, or being complimented by waiters: “ Sir, you have a nice figure” were HIS( yeah…”HIS”..unfortunately) exact words…being caught by security guards with one leg on either side of the water tower gate…to having a lot of money being deposited into my bank account by mistake…to having love/lust maddened girls stalking me ( ahem ahem :D ).

Well I had another kind of a stalker yesterday afternoon. While coming back from a friend’s B’Day treat…a cloud of barely 100 m radius decided that I didn’t look clean enough and followed me all the way from Le Meridian to S.B road and drenched me to the core. Now, I don’t have anything personal against clouds or rains or nature in general, but I certainly resent being singled out this way by this cloud. I could actually see the rain falling only in a 50 m radius around me and nowhere else. What business did it have…following me around the place and raining on me?

When I finally reached office, dripping wet and miserable, people stared at me as they would at a chimp suddenly scrambling into office. I don’t blame them…its hard for anyone to understand how a person can get so totally drenched when there is not a hint of cloud in the sky.

Stupid Cloud!

Chapter III

According to Vedic philosophy, human life is divided into four stages: Brahmacharya, Gruhasta, Vanaprastha and Sanyas...

If only life was so clearly defined..i seem to be currently stuck in an undefined crack between stages...Brahmacharya apparently over...Gruhasta a long way off...and contrary to Hindu philosophy...i am experiencing Sanyas :P

Anyway..i am back in Pune ..this place rocks....after 2 years in the wilderness of Indore and 3 months in God's own backyard....Pune is like a soothing balm to sore eyes and to those with a passion for ornithology... E square, FC and DP road are the usual spots for birds to flock together....real exotic ones at that..
What one needs is a bike...and some money...the former i have...the latter..unfortunately not...hence the misaligned stage in life i guess

btw..if you are wondering what the title has to do with what i have written till now..the answer is : NOTHING...
i was planning to write about how my life has entered a new phase...Phase I at home, Phase II in college and hostels..and Phase III being the work life that i have started now..but then..i got carried away .
and in 2 days..i have learnt something already..
Lesson Learnt: we are insignificant specks of dust
Reason: Cognizant canteen with 1000's of nameless faces..and i was 1 amongst them

Wonder Years

Wonder Years...a story about the childhood of Kevin Arnold...a story that we can all relate to....every time i watch any episode of this series..i go into a kinda weird mood....it somehow takes me back to my own childhood...down memory lane...
Maybe that's why i haven't been able to watch the whole series, even though i have had it for more than 2 yrs now...after every episode...i just feel like shutting down everything else and thinking about my childhood...old school friends, teachers...the kind of family life we used to lead back then...the crushes..the games..the lil problems which seemed so important to us then...

Somehow, in the process of growing up....we forget so many incidents. so many people..friends and those not so friendly...those who were important parts of our lives..who shaped our future the way it is now....

After watching yet another episode of Wonder Years...i just feel like going down memory lane..

My earliest memories are of Anand Singh..our driver in Jodhpur..who used to come take me to school...literally having had to drag me from under the bed ..and then rewarding me for good marks by treating me to a huge glass of sugar cane juice on the way back home..this was during LKG..and whats so moving ..is the fact that this guy still remembers us ..more than 20 yrs later

Then there was Thane...with my teachers...Kadam sir..who pulled out my teeth during class...Sunita Mdm..our hot teacher :)...my friends Rishi, Karthik, Keerti, Sandeep, Bunty and Rani.....i guess those were the golden days of our childhood..maybe cos that's the only time we got to stay at the same place for more than 3 yrs continuously and i made some awesome friends.

I was a different kind of person in Cochin...more into reading and sports..swimming and sailing..and the only close attachments i made there with my neighbours Soumya and Sangeetha di's and their dog Appu..

Then we moved back to Thane..and that's where i met Vinamra..over TT :)...one of my best friends....he deserves the maximum credit for whatever little i have achieved in life :D...i like to believe that we both pushed each other to perform better in every sphere of life...sports or academically..though he always beat me in everything..including in matters of the heart :D..
Teachers who really had an impact on me ..Kalanidhi Mdm..Rikta and Padma Sagar..its strange..i have been taught by teachers who are supposed to be among the best in the country..but i still feel that i have learnt more from these KV teachers...a more lasting bond ..

Then came Pune..where it can be said..the new Siby came into being..:D...Yanku..my 1st roomate..KK..Mishti..Bapat..Mou..Paula..More memories there than can be put down...

I know i am missing so many names...some i am doing deliberately..some not..

IIM indore was one of the best experiences i have had....something i wud treasure and miss ...Shreyan..deepti.richa.tanvi..shubh..dang...my nehbur...AOE..Bike rides and wild parties..aaaaah...

Now a new phase starts...

I HATE "WONDER YEARS"...stupid thing makes me ramble..all senti and nostalgic...

IIM Indore Quiz

Inspired by Mrunal's post on her blog, here goes a lil quiz on how well you know your fellow IIM I mates....thnx Mrunal..for some inside info abt the girls hostel..
and my apologies to my countless non IIM I fans..this post might not seem relevant to you ..but don't despair...siby will be back with a post that will knock your socks off....very soooon

Q1: Who wud be the 1st person you can rely ;) on to join Richa's fan club if it were started yesterday ??

Q2: Who is the person most likely to be caught by PETA for non stop early morning cruelty to animals at IIM Indore and elsewhere ?

Q3: Who is the only girl who would be interested in knocking your socks ;) off??

Q4: Who is the cutest person in whole of IIM Indore and who once said " siby is the the cutest guy in college"??

Q5: Who is credited with the most idiotic mail ever sent in IIM Indore history causing the biggest expose of the year ;) ?

Q6: Who is famous for her andhadhoond slapping and bouncing around once she gets a lil high at IIM Indore?

Q7: Who is the guy most famous in the girls hostel for the fairness of his posterior?

Q8: Who is the person who gave meaning to the term " HOT PINK" and redefined the fashion trends on campus?

Q9: One of the most famous crushes on campus...where a kadhalboy fell for some initials,,,gimme the initials.

Q10: What happens when Ishu gets a lil amorous?

Feel free to post your answers and guesses as comments

Things to do during Monsoon

One of my favourite things to do while in class was to make Things to do lists...interesting to read later...all kinds of wacky things in it...

Well....now that the monsoons have started and i am mostly gonna be stuck at home....here is a list of things all of us can do to while our time during this rainy season

For the lazy ones

- Sit in the balcony with a hot cup of coffee and some garam kanda pakodas( bhajjis)
- Catch up on ur reading
- Listen to music
- Stare at the rain and reflect on your life

For the frustrated ones

- Write blogs
- Watch movies at home
- Ahem Ahem :D

For the adventurous ones

- jump out of your house and dance in the rain
- go for long drives
- travel...lonavla is awesome during rains

and finally...there is nothing better than this last one

- Get a girl/boy friend :D

Solitude

Solitude......I have come to understand the true meaning of this word after spending nearly 2 months in my sleepy lil hometown ..with its river just a few hundred meters away...with its cows grazing here and there...with its people waking up at 5 and sleeping at 9...with its absolute calm...

With no pubs, multiplexes, coffee houses, pizza huts or cool roadside cafe's to hang out in, and with a faulty hard disk cable, there is nothing for me to occupy my time and mind with...such circumstances can be frustrating at first for someone used to a much racier lifestyle of the city..but slowly...i have realised that this has given me an opportunity to connect to a different aspect of myself. My self.

With our whirlwind lifestyles and rushed schedules, we barely have time to think and assimilate what we see happening around us. We let the new channels and their experts or newspaper editorials do the thinking for us and pass on their views as our opinions...we have no time for old friends or family...we forget what wet mud smells like after the first rain...or what it feels like to wake up with no worries and just a bright day ahead to look forward to...we forget what it is like to be alive !

My time here has allowed me to realise some things that i have neglected, like keeping in touch with old friends, reading, keeping in touch with my family...not just my parents ..but my extended family...i have realised the importance that is attached by our elders to religion and culture and heritage and even though i might not share some of their views, at least i have decided to try and study them and maybe discover what it is all about. I have realised that my responsibilities are many, that i have to suddenly grow up and make mature decisions..and i have discovered that i am capable of doing that.

I have also realised one thing...its important to play the game of life, but it is even more important to step off the playing field from time to time and analyse it..

PS: The most interesting thing to happen today was a football match between two teams ( no one knows their names) in the local church ground. One of them won 2-0, but it was more of an excuse for the whole village to gather and gossip.

Cows have horns !!

Cows have horns...and that's an undeniable fact !

Unfortunately, when 6 of your friends, whom you consider to be relatively intelligent, vehemently argue this fact and ridicule you in public, roll around on the floor in derisive laughter at your supposedly stupid misconception that cows could possible have horns, make snide comments about Mallu cows having horns and generally make u a figure for public mirth in a crowded Cafe Coffee Day, one somehow starts doubting his own beliefs.

It all started with some innocuous story i was telling about how "Nandini", my grandfathers cow would roll her eyes and brandish her horns at me when i went near her...and "Zain a.k.a Blinky" started taking my case saying that cow's didn't have horns...and then everyone ganged up on me and thus followed the above mentioned scene.

Well let me tell you something ....you IDIOTS..

COWS HAVE HORNS...and not just in Kerala....

undeniable proof..pls observe the pointy things in BLACK..they are horns

Market Snodsbury Grammar School...or something like it !

When i read "Brinkley Manor" by P.G.Wodehouse, i dismissed the terrorising thoughts that crossed Bertie Wooster's mind when he faced the prospect of addressing the Market Snodsbury Grammar school as an attempt by the author to exaggerate the situation in order to create a comic situation...but trust me when i say this....there can hardly be anything that can scramble your brains more, than the prospect of giving "Gyan" to a bunch of rowdy kids in the range of 2 to 15 years...with parents tagging along...with your own parents looking on....in MALAYALAM...on a topic that has been squeezed drier than Bihar's coffers by Lalu ..EDUCATION AND ITS IMPORTANCE...well i cant...and i went through it today

It all started with an innocuous invitation to a Kutumba Yogam( KY)..a family get together..a family branching from my great( to the power 9) grandfather...so you can imagine ..80% of the people had never even met each other....well...so..we get this invitation...and here i am .....bored to the core like never before in my life...and thereby ...the biggest mistake of my life....deciding to go for the KY...little did i know..i had just accepted the position of the proverbial " Bali ka bakraa" (BKB) at the said Yogam

The Yogam President ( my dad) and various committee members decide that its time to kick my ass...and hence this line in the programme for the day

3:45 pm-3:55 pm: Speech by Siby Mathew on Importance of Education and other related Blah Blah

I tossed and turned throughout the night, cold sweat on my forehead ...had innumerable fights with the President...threatened to impeach him and the other members of the committee....went on a non cooperation movement..but was ultimately carted away to the venue...

3:45 pm

ehhh..namaskaram...ehh....nyaan innu ninkalude mumbil Education..ummm...ee topic'ne importance ne kuricchu ...basically..umm...
....
umm...ahhh...
3:50
...umm...education...umm....blah blah...

3:55:
that's all i had to say..thank you all for your patience...

and i rush down the stage..some parents realise that i am no longer up there and there is a mild smattering of claps but more buzzing around the place regarding my identity and my pathetic Malayalam and how i could possibly qualify to speak about education when i couldn't even string two Malayalam words together coherently..


Hari oooooooooom

Aak Ki Taaza Khabar

Television today is flooded with news channels...and since they are all trying to sell the same thing, there is immense pressure to differentiate themselves from each other, get news as it happens...get it first, get it exclusive and get what the others cant Well, these circumstances would have been ideal for us to get in depth information, faster and with a lot more research and maybe help in exposing some skeletons in the closet...well that's happening, but largely, the competition amongst the news channels has taken the whole reporting culture to another level...where each one tries to get eyeballs by manufacturing news, useless sensationalism and crappy stunts...gimme a break...we are being force fed this crap instead of news that the channels think is good for their rating..and the whole concept of breaking news has been twisted...
Here's what has been passed as news the last few weeks

Breaking News: 3 kilos of cow dung from special cows fed banana's grown in Chinchpokli brought from Timbuktoo for the mehendi ceremony of Abhishek- Ash Wedding
This stupid wedding was the only thing on the TV for more than a week...with the entire country being shown the front gate of the Bacchan residences ...and an occasional car leaving or entering..with these momentous developments being analysed by an expert panel with some more comments regarding kundalis and muhurats by a team of specialist jyotish's...LIVE COVERAGE...24 hrs ..of the front gate...gimme a break...People just don't care if they are getting married...i don't wanna know where they got their sandalwood or how much they paid Veerappan's successor for it...let them marry in peace...

Breaking News: Model claims she is married to Abhishek
Then came the Jhanvi Kapoor with her hysterical rants about being married to Abhishek and her suicide attempt in front of the Live "Bacchan gates"...well this BacchanGate scandal was too juicy for the news channels to miss out on and they made a disgusting spectacle of this lady...i don't know what was going on in her mind..if she was genuinely mentally disturbed or wanted publicity, but she definitely did not deserve the kind of treatment meted out to her..it was a complete drama..with live interview that went on for hours..her mom's call on air, and intercepting her alleged son on the way to school and some "friend" who said that she was a slut and druggie...some friend....and a panel of expert psychologists analysing her frame of mind.... anyway...that's just sensationalism with each reporter trying to tear her claims to shreds on air...is this what news is?..

Then came the mother of all controversies with Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere getting lip locked in a scandal...with neither of them having a problem with anything, but the media blowing it out of proportion. If the kiss was so against our moral sensibilities..why air it 3000 times a day..and our self appointed champions of morality filing cases here and there...

i know i am raving and ranting like some outraged hippo...i am just slightly pissed at it all...and frustrated that TV doesn't have anything worthwhile to watch...and i did watch all that nonsense :P

IIM Grads and the Money Issue

I was reading the Indian Express today and found this article by some guy…” Show us your worth”…. The essence of the article is that Indian cricket and IIM MBA’s are over hyped in India….with a snide reference to MBA’s as Masters in Barely Anything..
He claims that the IIM grads are being paid way too much without having done anything for the country or for its business and industry. I don’t understand why people have a problem when their fellow country men are successful and earning well…it’s the same with the cricketer’s issue…It’s a simple matter of demand and supply ..if the organization is willing to pay an IIM MBA grad something, that’s because it feels that the person would add value to that organization to a far greater extent than the compensation being provided to them. Its strictly a logical decision to pay that person an amount that’s competitive..i don’t see why anyone should grudge IIM grads for what they are earning. And as far as contribution to the industry and country is concerned, he himself says that no SWOT (sic) analysis has been done to gauge the effectiveness of these MBA grads..then how can he claim that the IIM grads have not contributed to the country. Obviously the private sector, which employs most of the IIM grads, feels that they are a profitable asset, otherwise why would anyone pay a dime to them??

He goes on to say…”Its all about five star culture, large expense accounts, club life and golf” ..” Well its not a bed of roses all the time…The competition to get into an IIM is phenomenal…if you read the description about IIM’s given in www.wikipedia.com you will realize that CAT is the toughest exam to clear in the world…the amount of pressure and preparation u need to put in is tremendous, and then the stress to perform and the competition and rigor once in college is a different matter altogether…its not all party during college..but 5 hrs average sleep time. And once you start working, I don’t think any company can afford to pay you a fat salary to just play golf or go clubbing…you have to meet your targets…and I am absolutely sure that the expectations, responsibilities and targets on a person earning 20 L is going be more than on one earning 4 L……so how does it matter what that person does in his free time….I am not saying that others don’t work hard….but that doesn’t mean that IIM grads don’t work any less and are served anything on a platter either as it seems from these statements of his.

Hari ooooooooom !! Why do we behave like crabs?? When one sees the other climbing up to some sort of success, he tries to pull him down….that’s why crabs can be put in an open basket without any fear of them escaping..

My Mates !! (ahem..room mates and flat mates)

I left home for engineering studies 7 yrs back,….and I still remember how I felt..excited at the prospect of living by myself, sad at the fact that one part of my life…my life at home with my family had come to an end…and dread..of the unknown
Thus started my 2nd phase in life..and the fortune of having met some awesome guys as roommates and flatmates..some as good as family to me now…

Yanku….my 1st roomie in college..was eccentric to say the least..his style of sleeping was a bit different .u see…the first time I saw him sleep ..on his belly, with legs in the air and arms outstretched in front..i assumed it must be some yoga position…or he must be a “bhakt” of Hanumanji …later on..i started charging people entry into the room to watch him sleep ..kidding..but I am sure it would have been a successful business venture..now …Yanku wasn’t his real name…he loved his dog …named Yanku..even had a pic in his cupboard of the German Shep..where you would normally expect to find Pam or Jenna J..anyway..somehow …Yanku …once, his budday fell while he was at home and we all called him at home…much to his( my roomie’s) father’s surprise..everyone was asking for Yanku on the phone…. Can just imagine the expression on his face..wondering why on earth his dog was getting calls from all parts of the country..

Then came KK..roomies made in heaven..that’s what we could be called…same b’day…almost the same height..and the same tastes, project mates, worked in the same company…there have been many 1st’s for us..shared a lot of them together…now now..don't get any naughty thoughts….the tales of KK and his CBZ ..man..we sure do owe a lot to that bike..did'nt we??

Then came my days at IIM..well..we had single rooms..but my Nehbur was sort of like a roomie..He preferred my bed as my room was cleaner than his most of the times…and I preferred his bed b’cos of the big pillow he had..we had our fun times..both insomniacs, gave too hoots to acads….and shared a common passion for AOE..i kicked his ass royally 90 % of the time ..heheh

In between, I had summer training in Bombay and here I shared an apartment with a Tamil Nadu based CA who had a special liking for Tom and Jerry…well..all my notions about him were totally proved wrong after spending 2 months with him…especially..after he discovered the opposite sex at his workplace..his failed movie date and photo shoot left him crushed and dejected…sometimes..i could almost hear him sobbing away silently in the night…but he bounced back..(went on to tame a few wild fillies from Kozhikode during Ashwamedha..) thanks probably to our support and the 2 bananas that he got to eat from the dozen he bought he everyday..the remaining were gobbled down by us…his remaining flat mates.

I consider myself to be lucky in getting awesome flat mates and room mates throughout…making awesome friends…couldn’t have survived these 7 long years without you guys…miss ya all..

Encounter with the Kerala Government

We all go through life with some preconceived notions…notions based on assumptions and stories we hear from others. One of the most common one people have is about government organizations and their speed and efficiency. It’s true that more often than not, these notions seem to be justified. But today, I had an experience which changed my views to a certain extent.
I had gone to the government office responsible for conducting elections a few days back to apply for my Election Voter ID card. They asked me submit my form and come today.

I received excellent treatment from the people at the office, as good as at any other private sector enterprise….really professional work….Verification of identity, taking of a digital photograph and uploading, printing of the ID card, lamination and final stamp…everything took just 30-40 mins. Though i am not very happy about the quality of the photograph...the lighting and other aspects weren't good enough to bring out the natural rugged good looks of mine :P ...still ...a very pleasant surprise for me…b’cos I had no hopes of getting the ID card anytime soon.
What we always assume government officials to do is take bribes, slow down work and be generally dumbasses. What I saw today was totally to the contrary. The officials were professional, smart, efficient and very helpful. It’s a thankless job for them…. paid a pittance, having to bear the ire of irate citizens and poor working conditions. In spite of all this, they were still doing an admirable job.
I think its time for the government to affect an image makeover and try and dispel all these notions about its working and make a government job a matter of pride for the people once more. They owe it to their employees.

Blogging: What i never considered !!

People tend to do arbit things when they have way too much time on their hands…some “gyan” addition. After deciding to start blogging I started wondering what to blog about. The first post was just a copy of an email I sent, but what NOW? Why am I blogging??? What do I want to write about? I decided to do a bit of research into the history of blogging. Found some interesting things like the origin of the word “blog”; it actually comes from “web log”. Anyway…while I was going through all these things, I came upon things that I hadn’t even considered before I started blogging…the ramifications …
When I started blogging, I thought that this is a place where I could write what I wanted, my unadulterated opinions, and my views and have an honest discussion with people who might have differing opinions.
But apparently, that’s not so. Writing a blog is serious business, at least in this phase of our lives when we r moving from a student life to that of a professional one. It turns out that a lot of companies monitor blogs of their employees or prospective employees. There have been countless instances of people losing their jobs or losing out on them b’cos of something they wrote in their blogs, never assuming that its ramifications could spill on to their real life from their online one. Forget about work, people are doing a background check on their prospective brides and grooms using the net, checking out the blogs and social networking sites like Orkut etc.
So if you thought a blog was a place where you could be the REAL YOU…you are mistaken. You will again be forced to live behind a mask, not letting others know what you really think b’cos what you write here will be used against you, probably WITHOUT your knowledge. That’s what makes this so sad. I don’t mind taking responsibility for my words, deeds or thoughts. In fact, I am strongly against people who hide behind the anonymity that a blog affords them and refuse to take responsibility for their opinions. But at least let those who dare to stand up, be given a chance to defend themselves. Do not judge them without hearing them out… What happened to Gaurav Sabnis and to Rashmi Bansal some time back over the IIPM issue was not the same as what I am talking about right now…they did get a chance to defend themselves.
Anyway, I have decided to write what I feel like, but with some prudence…what say?? hehehe…anyway..i dont expect that this blog will be picked up that that soon and to that extent..so what the hell !!!

The Last One

My life at IIM Indore has been punctuated by many a trip..hiking..driving..climbing...swimming...be it by bike..self powered or by train...thanks mostly to the indomitable spirit of Shreyan...these trips...the one to Table top, the one to choral dam and THE LUNCH, the one to Sitala Falls, the one to Tincha have been among the high points of our days at Planet I...but the one that beats them all is...THE LAST ONE

Here is a mail i wrote to my buddies on this trip..just some recollections of all the joy, laughter and perverted times we spent together

Its been a month since we are done with our MBA's and i am so bored that i looked back at our two years at planet I..and wht i am most glad about when i look back at it..is our last trip...lots of memories...

It all started with Shreyan..as usual...planing this trip since God knows when..initially it had just me and Dangy as fixed cotrippers or whatever. Mayur, Deepti and Shubh came in to add glamour quotient to our trip and finally it was on...other than a lil tantrum from our own Fattu after she somehow managed to misplace her camera :).You guys have no idea how hard i and Dangy had to work in order to curb Shreyan's enthusiasm and make him drop some of the wilder ideas...hehe making this trip possible for mere mortals like us :D

First Stop: Jalandhar/Amritsar

We reached Jalandhar after an uneventful train journey and jumped onto cycle rickshaws...the first time for many of us..Shubh so excited that she couldn't hold on to anything at all...bags..wallet cap..everything flying off ..thankfully she remained on board ..

Dangy's house was our first pit stop and we ate and relaxed there...hogging ourselves on Aunty's delightful cooking. The girls went gaga over Dangy's brother. Had fun in the night when Dang took us to a theme restaurant..along the lines of Nakhrali Dhani...Shubh and Fattu had fun making pots and Shreyan went nuts with his camera and over some lil girl who danced there.

The next morning, Shreyan, irrepressible as ever, woke us up from our slumber , dragged us up to the roof and put colors on us..HAPPPY HOLI..he got budday kicks and chu chu fries for his trouble and i was left without nightclothes and had to make do with Deepti's gift ..well thats another story altogether.

The Golden Temple was an amazing place...so serene, beautiful and calming...the fish were too cool...though we weren't able to have the langar..Shreyan managed to get a religious Sikh knife..one made in China :P

Jalianhwala Bagh was nearby and we went there too..scary and sad to think that so many people gave up their lives there. Wagah border was awesome...exhilarating in fact....music blasted from that side and then from this side...shouting slogans..and then the amazing march past kinda ceremony...Shubh's high point of the day was cuddling around with the BSF labradors.

Makke ki roti and sarsoon ka saag was awesome on the way back.

Stop Two: Jammu and Hospitality

After a sleepy bus journey, we reached Jammu and the house of Dangy's friend Akshay and our first experience at how culture differences could lead to overeating." gin raha hai ???".."khali kyon baithahai"..."kitna patla ho gaya hai??" resounded in our ears as we stuffed ourselves to the gills with Aunty's amazing food and dessert.

Stop Three: Vaishnodevi Base Camp

With the climb started the true trip. All the chana that we ate till now came in handy as we chugged and wooshed our way up the 14 km climb. Fattu was ready to give up at the start...but then she pulled up her socks...snapped at us constantly and finally got going..imagine..CCD midway up Vaishnodevi ...Shubh was attracting all the ponies..must have had something to do with her long nose and snorting..or was it snorting..she had certainly eaten a lot of that chana :)

Man...was it cold up there..we crashed into our rooms and warmed ourselves by the heaters...and then went for darshan at 2 in the night..The climb down the hill the next day was a piece of cake and we found ourselves a maruti van to take us to our next stop...

Stop Four: Patni Top

The place we were staying was nice...breakfast in bed...butter toast and coffee and milk with bournvita..Shreyan and Shubh missed out on what was the best breakfast ever when they went out for a photo shoot.hehehee...Dang and i certainly polished it off most effectively

The levels of "pervertedness" were reaching new heights by this time..with even the great GURU being scandalised from time to time..Shreyan giving us the most fodder with his early morning wakeups and cruelty against monkeys...PETA needs to arrest him ;) We all got nicknames..Eboy...Another word for a cat ...Bongo Badmash, Bhaiya and Mumma and Bouncy Baby....Dangy remained Dangy.....went to see snow and played around there for quite sometime...for most of us..our first time in snow..Shreyan fulfilled his lifelong dream of making a snowman....

Secrets around the bonfire..now thats where Mayur showed off by analysing and getting down the list of girls Shreyan could possibly like to 3 names..had fun ..with lots of things coming out...including Subh's acadblock stories and Mayur's sweet love story..Shreyan refusing to divulge his secret crush...Fattu proving again to all why she deserves that name and Dangy for the first time coming clean :P

Stop Five: Dharamshala

This is where Dangy ditched us and we were left alone..at Shreyan'smercy.... we reached Dharamshal after a long journey...by van to Udhampur after a painfully slow journey and then by Shreyan's bullet train and then after hitching a ride in a sumo..found a sidey hotel to crash in for the night ..and crashed.

Morning and we found the most amazing place ever to stay..Kashmir House..truly awesome hotel..all of us fell in love with it at first sight..went to see McLeodganj..the house of the lamas..and the goat joke comes from there.... Shubh was telling me how the Chinese killed thousands of Lamas and i kept wondering what possible reason the Chinese would have in killing South American goats over Tibet...saw the Dalai lama..and Shubh and Deepti latched onto a Nepali baby and nearly kidnapped the cute lil bugger. Trapped in the hotel for the next two days due to rains...the game of jhingalala took true shape and is part of IIM folklore now :P..the videos are priceless..Shreyan got rid of his moustache...now..THAT took some convincing ..Shubh and Nag did a telephonic compatibility test...and then Shreyan got cranky and pushed off to see some place...found 3 hrs later wandering arnd Dharmshala with a sheepish grin and some story abt not managing to get a bus.Thanks to Mayur Bhiya's Veto...we spent another day in Dharamshala and saw some places nearby

Stop Six: Jalandhar Via Hoshiyarpur

The trip was uneventful other than for Shubh, who had some problems with a lil kid doing her thing while we were having our lunch..tch tch..such a snob..anyway..back at Dangy's place...and after some nice rest ..we are on our way to Delhi and Richa's house

Stop 7: Delhi and Richa's house

Richa came to pick us up..Shubh went to Paro's house ..the worst introduction and reaction ever for me..

Richa: this is siby.

Richa'sSis: siby??...the cheapo..??(a sniffing sound from the nose.like when usmell a fart) and then an about turn and there goes Richa's babysister..

Richa takes us to Red Fort..inadvertently giving us a Delhi Darshan after losing her way..YET again..and then after dinner at her place..we are on our way back to Indore

Truly an amazing trip guys ..lots of memories to carry back from this one..:)

Muah to you all

muah muah muah

Love Siby

Alpha

What do you do when you have limitless time, nothing worthwhile to do and a broadband Internet connection?? BLOG !
That's what i am setting out to do, in spite of all the misgivings i have about this new foray of mine....there are countless signs that tell me that this might end up like my Dear Diary days, when i wrote for a week or so and then forgot all about it. But then, i do read those entries i made, long years back...and memories long forgotten come flooding back. I am glad i wrote those few pages..
And so...here goes...Alpha..the beginning