Writing for Accuracy, Brevity, .... !!!

A Management course is one filled with subjects which can be full of learning! And then are some which one feels one would have been better off without. I am loath to criticise anything which goes on here(mostly out of the selfish motive of self-preservation). However, certain incidents force one's hand or rather keyboard. I am not going to rest peacefully till this particular post is done. I guess this like the proverbial tale about buses which never come for ages and then turn up all of a sudden in force(by the way i am referring to my posts on the blog). Those studying with me would guess what I am cribbing about just by the title. For those who are more fortunate, I will just give a gist of the situation before I launch into something totally random which I hope would extinguish my ire. Well, the outline without revealing too much details would be: we have a course, the objective of which is to enable us to do what the title of this post indicates.

While the objective might not be such a bad thing. However I have a problem with it too because it sort of vindicates the other measures which are followed in the course. How the world would be a better place for managers if all are shorn of style and made to write like 1st standard kids with their essay on the Cow, My Best friend, My father, My country, ...(I guess you get the idea). How anyone can judge a proposal for marriage on the basis of brevity is a matter beyond the comprehension of anyone who is not from the 'School for Uniform Blandness and Tastelessness'. To imagine that I had to write a brief proposal to marriage which is going to be evaluated for its brevity still gives me shudders. Some of the arguments against the established patterns of teaching make more sense(as they have always done).
Well here is a sampling of my first two lines:
Love is the basis of marriage. We love each other. ....

To think that I was made to write such banal stuff. Something totally devoid of any character, style and substance is going to be rated above eloquence. I pity the girl who even has to read such a love letter. I am definitely a crusader against lies but there has to be a limit to concise communication. The way people write is an indicator of the way they think. To limit that particular art even when it comes to everyday communication is to take away something substantial from people. To ask one to communicate clearly is one thing but to dictate the style and impose a particularly revolting type of blandness as the model for ideal official communication is definitely one of the symptoms of a professor who hasn't heard of mass-customization.

I can't continue much longer because I am not making much sense but let this just stand as a post in the fight against uniformity! Express yourself and don't be bothered by the word limit!


PS: This post is going to be edited(for better or worse) sooner or later.

A thank you note!!!(even if the first two paras don't read like one)

Just over 10 days ago, I crossed another of those milestones. Gentlemen and the odd lady who has the misfortune of having enough time to read my blog(or even more bad luck to know me pretty well and be coerced by me to read the blog), I am no longer 22. People have had numerous ways of dealing with birthdays which can to a certain extent be modeled as a function of age. Kids love it while those who are actually kids when it comes to the maturity of the mind seem to fret that life is going to end sooner than it was going to(the reference point being the previous birthday). While this is not necessarily a fair picture but then having a go at constructed straw-men is always fun and seems to make the argument easier with those who fail to realise the fallacy being committed.
Well, the purpose for my starting this particular post is much more pleasant than all this bilge you have had to endure.

My birthday happens at such a time that I rarely have been able to celebrate it on the actual day that I was born(for various reasons, of which vacations and examinations will have to fight it out for the position of Mjr.Culprit) . This year, there was additional factor in the mix and that is the fact that there is no blood relative with me at the time of the birthday(I assure you it is a different type of feeling) and then there was the small matter of mid-terms ending on the day. The Mid-terms actually played a crucial role in preventing my butt from having to take a recourse to ice-therapy and I truly thank God for instilling sense in the doctors to take me out from mother's womb at the time that they did and not wait any longer for this procrastinator. I thank God I was not born a week later(one person had the misfortune of having his birthday coincide with IRIS, our festival and something which warrants a post of its own and a lot more).
I did have my 'fair share' of kicks and stuff over the head when clock struck 12 but the situation could have been a lot worse.

Now fast-forward to the evening of November 3rd and welcome to the reason for the post. I wish I could express it more eloquently than I am doing it now but words sort of fail us(notice the us and not me) when we need them the most. I was able to give a treat at this nice place thanks to assurances from friends(they know who they are and this post is dedicated to them if ever such a thing was possible). The effort they took to make me really enjoy the day is one which will keep me going at times when I am down thinking about sadder things in life like broken promises. They truly made up for my not being at home(I wish I could say more but that alone should mean a lot and it does to me)

another random wasted post

It is soon going to be 2 months from the time that I have arrived and I can't avoid making a cliched statement which goes on the lines of "I can't believe how the time has flown".

this again has become an outdated post becoz the laziness which has become a manifest part of my make-up as the years have gone by. The date today is the 18th september and this post was started on the 30th and i hope to write proper post soon

Ignore this post!!!

I had come up with a great post with pictures and all, only for technology to spoil it all!!!!!

Can't be bothered to do all the work again but lets see what happens, I might still manage to get over my lethargy!

A journey and settling in!

This time last week, I was still in Hyderabad still not sure about how I would be reaching here. There seemed to be not much options left. My dad wasn't at home and he was also going to come. HE arrives on Saturday morning at 9 in the morning. By that time, we had someone say they could arrange for reservation by some Sampark Kranthi Express leaving at 11 AM. So it was a rush to the station.

Things didn't work out since it was a Saturday and we had to sit in a cramped position near the toilet in a reserved bogie for the whole duration of journey till Bhopal. In between we had a berth given in Nagpur which was useful since my parents used the concept of time-sharing on it. At Nagpur I was able to meet my friends Prasad and Pravin. Then we enter MP and we have quite a reception in the form of a chain-snatching gang almost snatching mom's chain but ma was too alert for any nonsense of that sort. A minute later we heard screams and I came to know of at least 2 people in the compartment whose chains were snatched and a person's whose purse was stolen. Oh the modus operandi was to pull the train chain in some God-forsaken place and then go along the track and capitalise on any opportunities available. That was quite a welcome and has taken away all desire of traveling by train in MP.

We reach Bhopal at 3 in the night(or morning depending on your being a nocturnal creature or not being one). Dad is not well at all. We go to the waiting room and I try to get some medicines but it was in vain. We managed with something in ma's purse and some Limca. At 5:30, we go and engage a cab to Indore. My task being to stay awake in the front seat so that the driver doesn't fall asleep and it was quite a task, since I didn't get to sleep in the train and the previous two days too. We reach Indore at 10 and then life gets real easy. We had lots of family friends taking care of us.

I have a great lunch at a real good hotel in Indore called Sayaji. Do go there if you happen to visit Indore. At 4:30 we start off with the rain pouring heavily. Reach my home for the next 2 years at 5:45. Manage to get my room allotted and after some time my parents leave along with batch mates who managed to get a ride to the city. I go to my room and find that the senior in the room next to mine is an acquaintance from Hyderabad, so that makes the transition easier. I meet some people and then go have dinner. A meeting is scheduled at 11:30 and by the time I sleep for the first time here it was 4!

Then I get my system on Thursday and life has begun in earnest here!(Oh the assignments, meetings and quizzes had already started)

The place is truly beautiful and the joy of watching football matches on the screen in the auditorium is really worth experiencing!!!

Thanks, I am going to IIM-Indore!

This is going to be the last post from this office! I have had news!! I am going to IIM-Indore!!!
It has been real short notice. I came to know yesterday and I am leaving tomorrow!

So there is a lot of work lined up and I won't be able to do all that I have wanted to In case I get into an IIM.

However there are loads of people to thank. Gosh, and I haven't even won the Oscars!

So where do I start? From the obvious: God. It has been one heck of an experience and thanks for it. Then thanks for all those whom He has surrounded me with.

My parents word aren't enough so I would reserve them for others. Then there is Sandeep my brother who does everything at home whenever he is at home so that I don't have to(that he scolds me once in a while is a different thing).
My cousin who was at home when my parents were not there and took care of the house and me during the the CAT session and my Granny too who was a presence.

Then there are friends who asked about how I was preparing (even though they knew I don't do much in that way). Friends who were excited when I got the calls for the interviews and helped me in the preparation. And who had to listen to me when I didn't get a call from anywhere. Who were waiting with me for the final call. I could go on and describe a lot more but this is clearly a case when words are surely not enough.

And even as I type there is a tear in my eye! If they are reading this, great but I guess they would know anyway. I love each one very much.

there are friends from pagalguy with whom I was able to have some great times in a very short time of knowing them. Encouraging me through what has been a tough time! The same applies to friends at office who were great through the time I was with them


Some say I deserve it, there are some who would say that I deserve something better but I know that in more ways than one that it is more than what I deserve. However the people I have around me have played a big role in making all of my life such a great journey that any success I have can rightfully be claimed by them too.

I haven't mentioned any names but each of the persons know who they are! If I make a list it would be a long one with each one contributing in their own way! I would love to do that one day if I ever get around to an autobiography(hehe that was supposed to be funny)!

Thanks everyone!!!

I want to write about ....

There are a lot of things that I want to write about!!!

From the World Cup to the advertisements being shown during the breaks(the adidas ads are real good especially for a football freak with a knowledge of the game's history). The one with Patrick Viera saying 'deja vu' to Ballack has to be the clincher. The other ads in the series too are brilliant.

Football is something which I haven't written about on my blog and considering how much I love the game I think it is pretty amazing that not a single post has made it to the blog yet and this one too is not about football. But I want to write one soon!

Then I wanted to write about a lot of other things, some seemingly trivial but have angles which I consider important and then there are some issues which can be very deeply delved into.

For example I wanted to write a bit about marriage expenses and the good work being done by the Hyderabad Welfare Society. Read the it here(hope the link works, do inform me if it doesn't). While I think that marriages should be very simple but as I think more about the issue and realise the importance of memories I can understand the need for a little bit of pomp(the poor girl in most cases is going to be married only once). So when I read the article the first time round I was a bit skeptical but then realised that it was only through the Society's initiative that these people were able to have marriage which would have been beyond their reach. Hope that these small gestures which might not seem significant on the surface but are vital to the overall well-being of society since it is increases the good-will factor.(Logically it doesn't make as much sense but people are not just rational beings, at times I wonder if they are rational at all).

As I typed out the previous paragraph I had a call on my phone which I ignored and that was from the sales department(or whatever) of HSBC credit cards. While in the beginning I willingly cooperated but their persistence in asking for all sorts of details meant that I decided not to take the card and have not been receiving their calls since a month now(that they still persist is amazing but it is also a sign of desperation to sign on new customers, I wish I could help out that agent by giving him the information but I no longer have the patience to cooperate)

There is one I want to write about the nature of love, the seeming inexplicableness of the whole thing. This being prompted by the death of a boy who was around 10 years old due to tumors in the brain. His parents had to care for him for around 14 months and since I am not mentioning any details here but I just want to express my appreciation, the boy was an adopted one. I was going to write 'I know the pain must be great' but then realised that I don't. My thoughts and prayers at this time are with them and I pray that there are more people of their kind in this world. They would surely be an inspiration to me. And I want to explore more about the nature of love(especially in the broader sense of the word which is much misused to my annoyance).

I want to write a post about my friends each of whom is a special person and write a post each about the best of my friends. They are all pretty precious. Then there is a friend I made during the summer, so I would like to write about meeting people.

There are a lot more things which keep propping up in my mind and I think maybe I should blog about these too.

Now if I wasn't so lazy and if only I had the capability to write all those posts!

Shifting Office Locations

I usually do not crib about things but I have decided to do that now since it would be a different kind of post and I have told a person or two that I am going to do this post.

All was going well at my office, the place was good and the tea breaks even better, till the time they decided to shift locations for my project. We shifted from a building called 'Cyber Pearl' to 'Cyber Towers"(which is what one could consider the face of the IT/ITES industry in Hyderabad, yes it is the round building which you must have seen on TV). Seems a good move? Wait till you hear my story.

It has been a little over a week since we shifted and I still haven't got used to the place and don't like the look of it .
The first thing which goes against Towers is the fact that it is an older building and seems to have been designed to use all the space possible for work.However a deeper inspection would reveal that even that goal isn't fully achieved due to the circular shape of the building which doesn't allow for baloncies on the outside so has to make to imitations of the indoor variety. THe structure being such that it lends itself to being very dark. So much for the architecture, I haven't yet come to the part where the shift has been an irritant and then there is a real tragedy lurking there too.
I am trying to be expressive and lucid but my horror at being in this place doesn't allow me to go through my limited repetoire of words efficiently.First, coming to the machines on which we work, they are the same but we simply don't have the same access previlege to same number of sites. Earlier our project had access to almost everything other than sport and even that could be got on a few newspaper sites. But now they have blocked newspaper, orkut anything you can think of. Even the proxy avoidance scheme doesn't work with proxy avoidance blocked. The height of it has to be "Philanthropies and Charities blocked", Come on , give me a break!(breaks are also a tragedy here as you are about to find out) This has to be a tragic blow for anyone but for someone like me it is an unmitigated disaster which falls beyond measurement by the Richter scale.

Now, if only the place were more convenient, this could have rankled less. But even to take a break and drink a cup of tea one has to hold the cup of tea in the hand and then swipe the card not once but twice, struggling to keep the door open(Try conjuring up images of someone getting to all sorts of shapes just with a cup in one hand, card in the other and the leg try to keep the door open). It is definitely not funny if the door consistenly bangs into the back as you let it go. Once I agree is funny, twice and thrice too but everytime?

And now to the real bad part. You have to swipe twice everytime you have to go to the toilet!!! I mean what about the poor fellow who is in a hurry. I guess I can't elaborate further without being crude so I stop this paragraph right here. And I just remember the facility here is also real poor and the quantity low. So leading to queues at particular points of time. Ok, I stop here. But give me Pearl anyday!

Now the cafeteria! The food is equally pathetic at both places but the resturant downstairs at Pearl was better for the small snacks(However I admit I am yet to explore this place fully).And I have to go to change floors to get there! The cafeteria in the company however is totally insufficient to even hold the employees. The Coffee Day Express doesn't have enough variety of snack. I guess those who know me will surely be feeling sorry for me by now.

And then there are the elevators(or lifts as some would call). They have to be travelled in to be believed that such a variety too exists. There is one which would qualify to be a compartment in the narrow guage railway and it feels that way too. The lifts, because of the number of people are usually crowded and even when you manage to get into the lift, it takes an age to reach the floor you want. There are friends for whom it takes less time to travel from home to the building than from the ground floor to the office. I would recommend the stairs especially during peak hours.

Oh there is still good coming out of it for me! Maybe I would lose weight! Maybe I would work!!!

Thanks for a great time.

This summer has been one which I have thoroughly enjoyed insipid of having to go to office and lingering disappointment which now has stopped surfacing hull's someone brings up the issue. My parents had gone out for most of the time and my brother was at home and we had a whale of a time. My cousin who finished his twelfth had joined us too in the party that we had. While describing all the experiences is beyond my limited abilities and I don't have many pictures to post, there are a few things I would like to mention and a few people I would like to thank.

The reason being the football that we could play. We had this whole gang of around 10 to 12 and Saturday mornings were great. As were Sunday evenings! There could be no greater feeling of freedom and exhilaration than that of playing football in the rain. Absolutely great!!! And to follow that up with servings of mirchi and masala vada, with music accompaniment if one wished for it! I guess I would give more description as I keeping mentioning names.

First up would be Sandeep, my brother who got everyone together and organized and planned everything. From the idea of playing to the trips, most of the things were his ideas. And the best part was the entertainment with football, he was on the opposite team most of the time but I enjoyed being on his team. He almost always scored when he wanted to. I am privileged to have such a brother(I guess there are times when we all have a go at younger siblings but I keep thinking at times I know him even before he was born!)

Then there is Johnson 'the wall'(in footballing terms, so that means that whoever went in against him inevitably had to take the fall, ofcourse there were honorable exceptions which needn't be mentioned here!). He is someone who is always ready to help(and that is the one of the grossest understatements of my life)

Benny, awesome player, can dribble real well and always ready to play. He was willing to come at 12 in the noon just because I had to fulfill my whim of playing football that day as I had some other things lined up for later that evening. Great fun to be with and to quote him as he describes himself, "in one word 'cool'"

Then next on the list would be Vamshi, my brothers school mate and his brother Vimal, who not just added numbers but gave variety to the skill on display.

Sudeep, my cousin, enjoyed his time with us too. The best description I can give is one that an uncle of mine uttered ,"nee voolu antha etkaram"(when translated it means something on the lines of 'your whole body is filled with sarcasm'. He did help with the cooking and stuff around the house. And provided laughter on football field with regular mistakes.Talking of mistakes leads me to Rohit, whose being on the team seemed to boost the opposition but Sandeep did say that he could do a job if given clear instructions. However he is pretty enthusiastic and lends some of the variety needed to make the fun complete.

There was Arpan who joined us 2 times, he got so excited about playing football, he went off to buy a ball without even asking us(that he didn't seem to find it is another matter).

Paul, who played goalkeeper and whose size allowed him to perform a good job, managed to ignore the jibes and provided more entertainment of the comical error variety(ofcourse Rohit and Sudeep would rank way above him but still)

Sam, who was I guess the youngest but never let it show. He joined us on our night together in the house when we had a riot. And he liked to play defence but I think he would useful on the wing too.

Then there is Leena, she has to be seen to believed. Full of energy and towards the end picked up the nuances of football too pretty well. She was usually the last to feel tired and nothing seemed to faze her. Balls hitting her with force, clashing of heads for balls in the air and tackling did seem pretty routine for her. Atta girl! Way to go!!!

Beryl and Chrysolite did join us for the jaunt at Eat Street and the boat ride was fun too.

I seem to have left someone out. Hmm.. He played Defensive Midfield, tried to pass the ball(and was successful once in a while) and in general used to tire easily. However he enjoyed it to the hilt and is grateful for the time he had and would like to thank all involved in making this summer almost as good as the summers in Kotagiri!

Why the protests against reservations aren't working and a bit more

The protests against reservations have brought cheer to my heart as they are an indication that all is not lost. There are people around who seem to have the ability to take things head on. I have been seeing the way things have been going and I feel that this is the ideal way to go about things. Protesting in a peaceful manner.
However, the time for peaceful protests is long past. We have become a people who won't listen to words and our politicians are even worse. We fear those who are violent(radical should be the right word but not it is not radical enough to convey my meaning) and in this case fear is what should be generated in the politicians. For example, how to do movies get banned? Fear of violence!The time when voices of dissuading were heard was really short(if at all it was ever heard). It is the mob which rules.

I have read about people likening the situation to the revolutions in Eastern Europe but although they seemed to be spontaneous, they were very well planned. So we can go one up on them at this moment of time without actually resorting to violence(as in killing). One of the major ingredients for success is subversion from within. Unfortunately the best solution without violence is paralysis of work in the country. The movement needs even the bureaucrats, soldiers in the army to come together. The ultimate strike would be of those providing security to the vibes. That would certainly set the cat among the pigeons. I know this is wishful thinking but it sure would be effective. So let us consider a lesser alternative which is vandalizing the HARD ministry office. It would certainly set them thinking. I am surprised that I am suggesting something on these lines but that appears to be the only feasible solution. Bringing the country to a grinding halt. It would people up if in a city like Hyderabad the protest are not held on Sundays but rather on weekdays. The protests seem to be just a token expression and not that serious since no one is actually being affected(I am talking about the phenomenon in Hyderabad). By protesting on a weekday we would actually be sacrificing a lot more and at the same time make the point in a more emphatic manner. A thousand people on a weekday morning for 2 hours near secretariat would be more effective than five thousand on a Sunday. I still think that protesting in that way is unbecoming but that is the only resort left if anything meaningful is to come out of the protests. The protests are not registering where they should. The age of reason seems to have passed us by, and what is left is a mentality for which 'majority is right' leading to the culture of the mob.

We have got the weapon of productivity and the country's economy can be heavily damaged through a little bit of strategic planning. However it would affect us too. So we need to make a few sacrifices, so that the future generations won't be sacrificed. Looking at it logically, it is in the prosperity of the affluent that the not so affluent can prosper. A simple example here would be that of the maid servant, who is dependent on work from someone who is richer it is basically those who have the power who are ignorant of it and the ways in which to unleash it. Being a socialist at heart I still don't understand how the middle-class has failed to assert itself as a major influence which counts. (What does being a socialist have to do with it? You might ask. It is just that I see that there are more ways possible) It is only when there is a major crisis that we raise our head an moan , protest and go back to sleep. This is also a result of a lack of major sacrifices being made. For example, very few of our best students go on to become teachers, especially for someone in the age group of 14 to 22 it could be crucial unwillingness to come to terms with reality is affecting us. The dream to earn big bucks makes engineers and MBAs of us all but then there are few who actually want to build something more meaningful

Protesting as I have said before is all very good, but it is time for us to inarguable the direction that we are taking!!!



PS: this post was in draft mode for a long time and much more water has passed under the bridge.
PPS: I will be writing more probably on the issue but I may take up a diametrically opposite stance the next time around!!!

on being balanced

A balanced look at any issue would be the optimal way to solve problems arising from it. An objective view allows for an answer which gives satisfaction to everyone involved in the process. Being unbiased gives one much more room to maneovre and look at pros and cons of both sides of the coin.
Even in today's society, a balanced person is more appreciated and held in higher esteem than one who is prone to bais. I guess the advantages involved are bit obvious. When pure reason is held higher than emotions and reasons of the heart, we would have a world which is much easier to understand.
However there are a few issues which are not so clear. For example, how balanced should one be so as to be balancedly balanced. Can someone put so much of emphasis on being balanced so as to become imbalanced with regard to balance.While one could possibly be perfectly perfect, being balancedly balanced seems an impossibilty because of the very nature of being balanced.The dilemma is perhaps about the balance to be struck between being reasonable and irreasonably reasonable because of human nature being more than just 'reason'. There is also the question of just how much emotion to show. There are times when we just let instincts take control. However that is also a crucial factor in being balanced since the suppression of emotions for too long a period could lead to disturbing the equilibrium of the person as a whole.

As I ponder there are lot of things which come to the mind which are prescriptive and I don't particularly think that I of all people should be prescribing something as a thing to be practiced. As I keep typing the very nature of the matter baffles me since it is ambigous and will be contradictory the moment I put it down. So I would finish off this peice much shorter than I originally thought. Probably the secret to being balanced is allowing oneself to be imbalanced once in a while(in a balanced manner???)

controversi around the da vinci

As issues go there have been plenty to write about this week. However I would like to concentrate on the controversy which surrounds the release of the ‘Da Vinci Code’ movie. As a believing Christian and an ardent believer in free speech I think that this is going to be a challenging piece of writing personally.

As I start off I want to state what I want to achieve through this piece. I would like to portray an even-handed picture of the scenario. Argue the case for screening the movie and also try to throw light on the mentality which is trying to get the screening of the movie banned. However the writing would not be complete without stating my personal convictions and giving you an idea of what I think of the book.

Here is how the whole affair unfolds. Another sensational novel which seemingly reveals stunning facts about Da Vinci’s works, the Holy Grail, the Catholic Church and the life of Jesus. The book becomes a blockbuster best-seller and has been on top of the charts and thereabouts since the time it ahs been published. As has been the case with Hollywood, the book is made into a movie. At this stage a few members of the Church around the world wake up and decide to protest. In India, we have the leaders of some union of Churches deciding to ask for a ban on the movie. A further twist in the tale occurs when in a show of minority solidarity even the Muslim leaders decide to join in the protests since Jesus is one of the prophets. In addition to all of this we have the media playing its typical role of the tail wagging the dog. That in short is the tale.

Some of the sensational claims made by the book are that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that they had a child. The line of Jesus is supposed to be the Holy Grail. There are lot of other strings in the plot which are controversial.

However, this is not the first time these sorts of claims have been made. There have been other books too which have created more than a flutter by claiming things on a similar line. The Da Vinci Code is the latest in the line. In the book form it did not receive much attention from the authorities at a higher lever in the church. However the movie is a different thing.

The impact that a movie through its visual images makes is much more. It draws a larger audience. An observation which I would like to make at this point in time is that people watching a movie are less reflective than those who read a book. The reasons being the time factor and external images. So there might actually be some justification for letting the book be and protesting against the movie.

However, even among movies it is not the first which makes this kind of claims. There have been which would be considered even more blasphemous but they were screened. So the protests in India are more in keeping with our times, when sentiment is respected and reason is used as a hand-maiden to emotional drama.

The media in India which likes to portray itself as treading the middle path but fails. The case in point being the refusal to see that those who are against the screening the movie also have the right to protest in the name of freedom of expression. It is the incitement to violence which has to be frowned at.

Why should we be bothered about freedom of expression? Actually the removal of the freedom would seem ideal since there would be no chance for resistance and dissent. Anyone making a statement would be careful and would not hurt sentiments. Well, this would work out alright if there was a rigid definition of what is right and wrong. In short if would be perfect if we were robots. I know this is an argument which makes its case by example rather than pure sequential reason but the argument has its merits (the major one being it is easy for me to put forward and takes less space).

As a Christian the bounty offered for Dan Brown by a business man in Bombay is ridiculous. Watching him on TV however gave substance to this piece. The man was ignorant of most of the tenets of Catholicism and only seemed to know the names from Bible and attached sentimental importance to them. And he is a typical example of the fuel on which the ideologues on both on the left-wing and especially the right-wing thrive. People who are fundamentalists not when it comes to their beliefs but others’ view of their beliefs. However, I do not say that the movie should be screened because of those opposing it but rather because it has its own value. It is useful as a starting point on a journey of dialogue on faith. A sincere examination by a seeker who makes a through study as result of the movie would lead to startling discoveries.

Now for my views on the book and the claims it made. The book is a fast-moving thriller but is very shoddily researched. There are many errors of fact like the one about Priory of Sion. There are many clumsily made interpretations which are shown as new and there has been a great deal of twisting of history to paint the Church black. For instance, Mary Magdalene is never portrayed as a prostitute in the Bible or the early church as claimed by the book. It was only from the sixth century that the particular version came into existence. There are many such claims which can shake the faith of the weak. That is where the whole problem arises. There is no easy solution. The issue here is a bit deeper than the cartoon controversy since the whole movie portrays quite a few things wrong and the media is used here is much more graphic. So the move to screen the movie with a disclaimer even at the beginning is what I would approve and am glad that is the way things seem to be moving.

As I now know the movie is going to be screened which is a victory for everyone, both for those who want to watch it, for freedom of expression and even for those who are worried, the last because hasn’t turned out so great.

I would recommend that if you are watching the movie: watch it the same way you would watch any other. The ‘Da Vinci Code’ is after all just another movie made to rake in the moolah.


This was written to be read at a oratory club that I go to Fridays. I am going to read it later today.

Will this be my shortest post so far?

I had a great holiday in Vizag thought of a lot of things to blog and write about but now don't remember a thing(or can't be bothered).
Vizag however is a great place. Almost totally empty roads and the place is pretty scenic .

And I love water!(Not that I can swim but water has me real excited)

So there, my shortest post!

A few questions about the formation of the self(person/whatever)!

A chain of events yesterday(22nd April) has had me thinking on lines which I had done some previous thinking but I guess since it was crystallized yesterday or I just think that because I was fascinated enough by it to blog(which takes a lot of effort from my lazy being). I guess much great minds then mine have dwelt on the subject and have writtten much greater things but I would like to have my say too for all it is worth.

I had a day yesterday when I met friends from Pagalguy after the results debacle and there was talk about the results and so on. And at that moment of time my reactions were perfectly normal and I would say they were pretty good actually. I was the same old casual person, a bit hopeful, a bit down but pretty much ok with life.

As I look at it even now I think that is what my reaction to this whole phase is.

However as I was travelling back by the bus after a lot of walking and an unsuccessful time with autowallahs who didn't want to come in the direction in which I had to go. As I was standing in the bus I was thinking if the reaction I had was the one which is truly me.

I think I know myself pretty well but yesterday I was left to ponder who is it that I know. I guess I rarely have let my instincts have a full go so I don't know who I really am. But then again what if my very instinct is to think. I guess it is something which is appreciated by most people but I am not that way because of people, it is basically the way that I am.

However the struggle to identify if the self on display and the self that you know is the same is not of the same magnitude as the one to figure out if the present self is the true self. I guess it would be even more difficult in case a person with an almost uniform self(by uniform I mean here someone whose private and public personalities don't differ much). The question which I guess would be the sum of all my doubts would be the one which has been put as 'what do children do if there is absolutely no contact with human society?' Would they still be exhibiting behaviourial tendencies of the parents? I guess atleast the walking posture could be similar at some point of time.

So am I back to making the cliched statement that I am a total of loads of things which went into my making: my family, education(yeah right!), books(a major part), faith and ofcourse friends! But then again the way choose friends when we are kids now fascinates me. How did I choose a particular set of friends in my 5th/6th class? I probably could have chosen anyone but even at that early stage we chose each other without any prompting and that has in a major way shaped me.

I guess if we think about these questions we will have some interesting answers.

However towards the end of my post I will again have to make mention of the fact that each person is moulded in a different way and if you care to reflect on the process you find it truly beautiful!

A wee little bit about happiness???

This is probably going to be the most random of all my random postings on the blog since I am blogging this for no other reason but the fact that I stumbled on to the create post page and decided that I might as well do some writing(yeah right). So this is going to be one painful read(especially since I am some one who prefers not to eat to having to fix something for myself(meaning I am very lazy) and then I am considered a foodie by all the people who know me). The randomness might be getting to you already since you would fail to connect all that was written between the words predicting randomness and its confirmation.

Well, here goes.
I guess I am happy now. But what does that mean? How can I be happy? Is it just happiness or something more which allows me to be cheerful inspite of the circumstances. At times I feel that 'pursuit of happiness ' as an ideal is hyped and not actually as meaningful as happiness is something which is quite temporary. By very definition happiness is just about the moment. However, I guess it is the right word for our age which is about the 'instant'. Not that I am saying that it is a bad thing but it hides a lot of more meaningful things. I believe in living in the present but then for the present to have meaning the past and the future should make a contribution too.

So I find that being filled with joy is more important than just being happy at any moment of time. It allows you to have a much greater fulfillment. The way I see joy is something which is not dependent on circumstances while happiness is.

So why is happiness more sought after rather than joy? There are a number of reasons(but if look at it even more closely it is just one thing) but for the purpose of making this readable I would not like to state them here. I guess it is something which one can figure out for oneself if one is willing to spend the time thinking about it and make what is in my opinion a very worthy investment of time.

By this time you can probably figure that while I might have recovered to a great extent from the shocks of last week, I still am going be scarred for sometime now. However, I find there is a lot to rejoice about in life.

By the way, I have got loads of spare time on my hand and if anyone is willing to talk meaningfully about these things and anything else, I would be most willing to oblige you. Some might think that I am begging and if thats what you think so be it.

The worst time of my life???

I recovered from the worst day of my life within 2 days and have cheered up to a great extent.
I have been given the kick by the IIMs(well almost). I am waitlisted 211 at Lucknow and I have not been numbered but waitlisted at Indore(Indore is another story altogether with me coming to know that I am waitlisted there only on Sunday. They had a major(rather minor) goof-up by confusing the mm and dd columns)
Well Wednesday, 12th April is officially now the worst day of my life so far. And exactly 8 years ago,1998 that is, I got baptised.
Well, I was expected to take it lightly and carry on but then I required some time to mourn. I find it rather strange that while a person who got a seat is supposed to party and be happy, someone who fails is supposed to take ti on the chin and move on as if nothing has happened. That was the logic which I gave to people who tried to cheer me up. I actually think that it was good for me that I didn't act normal(I think I have to be a different person to be able to do that). My aunt however said that someone is as mature as you are shouldn't be taking things this way and she got the same response.
But again as I look at it, the very fact that I consider this to be the worst part of my life probably means that I haven't been through much in life and that I am pretty raw and protected. I wish it wasn't like that bu thtat infact is the truth. So once again I learn that I am one lucky person.
A few observations about my self during that time which probably everyone goes through. I didn't want to talk to people but I wanted to talk to just a few persons. It is the sort of time when a shoulder around the arm is more appropriate than the words of wisdom(I admit that they are true0

Well, coming to why I was rejected? Maybe i was a bit too casual for their liking or maybe they didn't like my face(I don't blame them if thats the reason)

However there is still hope for me!

Waiting,,... Reservation... and a few more thoughts

This is post is more a sort of marker, something I want to look back at later and laugh at myself and wonder how I could be such a wreck. So people say that the results will be out tomorrow and I have been trying to avoid anything and everything which amounts to speculation but I can't help being human inspite of myself(whatever that means).
So am I nervous? Nothing to be doubted there but what do I think I will do if things go wrong? Is it really that significant? Considering that this was supposed to be a trial run I haven't done that bad but then the significance grows because of what I have put into it emotionally(no i haven't prepared a lot but a lot of thinking took place) and what I gave up at the work place(I had loads of fun and did no work). So while I could go on living but the days would be longer and life would seem miserable.

And a few other things which have occupied my mind of late...

The reservation issue which has had me thinking more seriously. Ideally speaking I am against reservations in any form. Unfortunately the country we are living in is not in the ideal state.
So reservation do have somethings going in their favour in my mind at this point of time. The reactions of those opposed to the reservations does get revolting(but then so is that of people who support reservations).
I was chatting with someone about this and he made a few interesting points but one was pretty radical while others were something which have to be thought of while discussing reservation.
First, the poor condition of primary education in rural India. Infact there is this huge gap in the quality of education. We can always point to success stories of people who overcame the odds but the fact there is that they overcame the odds and success(or whatever you call it) didn't come to them on a platter as it does to most of us who study in English medium schools and for whome the emphasis at home is on education rather trying to make ends meet. That in itself is a major disadvantage. What does this have to do with caste? While there are people from the generally more affluent castes(since I don't care for the very notion of caste I refuse to use the phrase 'upper castes') who are poor but consider this: the poor Brahmin has a better chance of doing well because of the cultural advantage he has at home and the shaping of the genes and habits over the generations. While I hate the stereotyping, one has to admit that it is the truth and habits which are passed on for 3000 years can't be overcome so easily. So while I believe that the all the poor who are good enough to persue education should be funded to a certain extent, when it comes to reservations only a really good primary eucation system can help a kid from the disadvantaged section overcome the disavantages. But we are not prepared to bear the cost which is required both economically and in a sense socially. There were people who had been dedicated to teaching in the villages but unfortunately the tense I used is the past. It isn't as if the education system anywhere in the country is in great shape but those who attend private schools have a definite advantage.
So, can we really help put primary & secondary education aroudn the country on the same scale? There can never be no, but we lack the will because we already can manage and are not affected. The reservation issue just enrages and provides an outlet for the various frustrations we have in life.
It is also interesting that those who are against reservation are not against coaching which gives an advantage to those with money.(I beleve as an evil coaching comes just below reservation but unfortunately I have been guilty of taking it too but I moan maybe because I didn't benefit much from it). Life would be very interesting without all the coaching classes and instiutes(yeah life and the results too).
There is a lot one can say aginst reservation which you must have read 'n' number of times and also there is much which can be written for it and the hypocrisy of those protesting against it.
One solution which the person I was chatting to proposed and the one which is radical but effective solution(and which won't be implemented) is Inter-caste marriages being actively encouraged. Not the ones between Brahmins and well-off Christians or between Punjabis and Malyalis but something more drastic. The benefits are there but the response that this suggestion gets inpublic would be one of the reasons which the proponents of reservation have got going in their favour.

Enough said on that front ...

There was another interesting conversation I had with a friend which has made me think about the direction I am taking in life but also ponder about how many close friends can one have?How many people can I care for? I guess I am having a problem there because the love that I give has been more of a leaking one in most cases rather than the overflowing variety. There are loads of things to set right in life(none that seem apparent but they are the kind only I can know)...

and to close I don't know how tomorrow will go but I am hoping and praying for that whatever is best for me happens and that I will be able to deal with it whatever it maybe.....

Finally my IIM-K experience!

It has been sometime since I have posted and I still haven't recovered fully from the loss of my IIM-K post which I foolishly lost due to my laziness.(how lazy can one get? Failing to copy and paste before hitting the button is abysmal but unfortunately this the way I am). So I wasn't going to post that experience till the time someone actually told me that there are people who want to read my experience. So I am making the effort again but last time it was real long but I doubt if it will be anywhere near that length this time around. So here goes.

the venue was IIM-B again and by this time I knew the route better than the autowallas. The time given to me was 2 :00 pm(on the 21st of March) and I reach the place around 1:15pm. I went to the CPP block and in a short time we had the verification of our certificates.

There were 9 participants in our panel and then there were 2 who were supposed to evaluate us.
The seating was a bit odd and we didn't have access to the table to write(not that I write). Then we were given the topic , 'Indian economy is over-regulated and under-governed'.
I was quiet and didn't talk as much as I could have(but there were people who talked even less than I did) and everyone in general didn't have much to talk as we seemed to bottom out on the knowledge front. But inspite of that there were people hogging the discussion and there were instants of different individuals talking at the same time.
It lasted for 10 minutes and we were out.
One of the profs tried to crack a joke as we went out.

The interviews started and those who went in and came out asked the next person in the queue to go in after 60 seconds or 1 minute(eh). I was 7th and till I my turn came they seemed to be happy to carry on with routine. However, I was made to wait for around 15 to 20 minutes with them shoeing me the palm, indicating that I should wait around 3-4 times. By the time one of them came to call me in I was like 'finally!'

Till now the average time inside was 14 minutes and I go in at 4:05pm.
And here is how it went.

P1: Why were you maintaining a low profile in the GD?
Me: Sir, I made a few points and also listening is as important and i like to listen so the I learn.
P2: Even as a manager you will only listen?
Me: I will listen but form my own opinion and when the need arises I will talk
P1: So let us see how strong you are in your academics especially quantitative skills.
I smile rather grin

P1: What are your areas which are your strengths?
Me: sir, I got a 100/100 in probability in engineering exams ..
P1(interrupts and in a mock putting together of hands in the namskar position as if he is asking me to relieve him from his troubles): I am asking for your strengths now and you are giving me history ..
Me: sir, the very fact that I mentioned that would indicate that I think those are my strengths and I would like to be asked about that.
P1: asks a few questions, asks me to draw a some curve and tries to act frustrated and asks on which axis probability is shown and as I explain he refuses to listen and finally say that you are confusing me.
P2: so what about differential calculus. Can you solve any problem?
Me: while I do not particularly consider it a strong point, I think given some time I can solve the problem
P2: ok, we will believe you on that one

P2: You said(wrote in the application form) you are not very hard-working, why?
Me: SO far, I didn't have to work rally hard for anything, rather I haven't felt the need.
P2: So your academics are a reflection of that?
Me: Not only that, my handwriting was bad, in the form it is much better
(P1, P2 laugh)
P1: yes, I saw you struggling to draw a curve
P2: So you are working?
Me; yes sir
P2: tell us about the company
Me: blah ...
P2: your work
Me: I used to do something but now I am not doing any work
P1: What you are getting paid without working ? How?
Me: I asked and they accepted
P2 & P1 (looking at eachother and laughing) : get us also a job in your company
P2: so what were your favourite subjects in college
Me: Data structures

A few questions about bread-first and depth-first searches, binary tree and so on

Me: I also like Artificial Intelligence
P2: why did you say also?
Me: sir, it must have come out that way since not many people in the class understood and I taught most of them informally that is
P2: and you say you are not hard-working
Me: I think I can put in a lot more effort

P1: Hobbies, extra circular activities
Me: I enjoy reading books and follow football
P2: what do you mean ' follow football'?
Me: I watch a lot on TV and even read websites
P2: what do you read?
Me: anything I can lay my hands, of late I am reading ..., PG Wodehouse is a favourite and I started off my reading with the Bible

This started off a 5 minutes discussion with P1 trying to argue arbitrarily.

Then they were done with me and said thank you and I stood up
P2: Good luck
P1: what other calls do you have?
Me: sir, I have all calls from all the IIMs other than Bangalore
P1: why didn't bangalore call you?
Me: I don't know for sure
P1: what you don't have any idea? Just like that you left it?
Me: on analyzing ithink it might be because my academics aren't great or the distribution of my score in CAT is a bit skewed
P1: thank you
P2: thank you
me: thank you

I walk out with my file, jumping since my interview season is over.

Then 2 days later my mother finds out that my interview-data form came back with my original and we had to send it by courier(or post or whatever I am not sure)

IIM-C interview experience

So I have had my IIM-C interview too.
Venue: IIMB
Date: 16th March
Time: 9:30 am
Reach place before time and find that my name is 10th in the 3rd panel(but it turns out that i am 11th as another gets added to the panel)
We go into the room filled with smoke and sound emanating from a stuck cd. So we are told the pattern where we have the GD topic, 3minutes to think, 12 minutes for discussion and each person called in random order for a 1-minute speech on the topic.
The topic for GD was : 'Poor countries cannot afford to protect the environment'
I think I did ok. It was a bit of a fish market for some periods of time but decent overall.
By the time I went in for PI, it was 12:45 and I was absolutely famished.So I go into the room with all my thoughts on food.The interview for previous people had a few questions on acads, so I go in expecting the worst
I get asked to tell about my self.The second line, I mention books and get asked about the last book I read.I say fiction : Porterhouse Blue by Tom Sharpe and Non-ficiton: Globalisation and its discontents(I mentioned it as discontents of globalisation)And currently reading the 'End of Poverty'
Then one prof says the name of the book is 'Globalisation and its discontents' and I say maybe he is right but I remembered the title in that way. Then asked about author, Joseph Stitglitz
Then a little gyaan about the book. I talk about IMF and how it has proposed single solution for all countries and so on.. All top people from Europe and US and so on.
Then we talked about the places that I stayed.The common problems of AP and Maharastra.Farmers and Separate State.Inbetween they asked me stuff about my job which I mucked up and then made a statement in between which said 'I am not particularly attached to machines'
Then one prof asks about some techonology which I hadn't come across and I say there wasn't the need for me and he talks about the curiousity and I smile.
Then one prof realised that my parents did their Bachelor of Divinity digree and wanted to know about the Theological university in West Bengal. Serampore(I wanted to talk more but then they talked within themselves)
Towards the end we talked about small states pros and cons.And then about making Nagpur the capital of India. I say that other than employment generation it would be too costly now.
end of interview.

My IIM-A GD-Interview Experience

I just returned home from the interview and before it gets any later let me post!I think I knew almost everyone in my panel before we started. The order from the 2nd person to me (6th) was the same as in the Lucknow panel
Oh the details are:
Date : 1st March
Time: 9 AM
Venue: IIMB
We are called inside for the GD a few minutes(2-3) before 9 and instructions were given.
We had a case which was about a woman in a software firm who complains to her superior about assault! and so on so forth.
It was not all that long but in my opinion a little bit of a bore(not very much to talk about)I came in a 3 times and sat quietly the rest of the time.So my assesment of my performance in the GD : Not bad but then it wasn't good. so lets say it was average(good part being i didn't make any mistakes because i didn't talk much)

Now for the PI. After hearing all those stories about how acad heavy the interviews for A are I just went in like a lamb to be slaughtered!
Oh and there were 3 members on the panel.
The Left(L), Centre(C), Right(R) and me (M)
C: So you are Sanjeev?
M & R: No it is Sajeev
C: so tell us about yourself?
M: blah blah about reading and football (2-3 sentences and i get stopped i think)
C: so you are working?
M: yes
So 2 minutes about company and the work I do(which isn't much)
Then C asks me a question in maths(geometry and coordinate goemetry): I answer a bit but then the most critical calculation i say i cna't do it now!
R: Violence in its various forms is a result of religion
We have a discussion for the next 10 to 12 minutes which goes from Ireland to Bosnia to Spain to Latin America to Middle East to Phillipines.In which I try to say it isn't necessarily religion but also race an other things and religion is used to provide justification.
R: What is the theory which uses religion called?
M: i first say ' Clash of cultures' and then a few seconds recollect and say 'Clash of Civilizations' but can't remember the author's name
They kept trying to make me reverse my stand but I said that if some of the other problems were solved then the voilence would abate.
Then finally I say towards the end:
"It does seem that mankind does not like to live in peace and it can be attributed to religion. However if we look at what happened in Germany after unification one of the first things that the parliament did was to apologize to Israel for what happened during the World War II. So the very fact that Germany and Israel have diplomatic relations today ....(a little pause) can be put down in some people's perspective down to religion."
They look at each other and nod and say thanks:Take a toffee.Again there are thanks all round and C says : All the best!!
And my A interview was over!

IIM-L GD/Interview experience

Date: 20th Feb
Time : 2pm
Venue: IIM-B
Panel: VI

Topic for testing of writing skills(thats what it was according to the panelist) and GD:
'Peace and harmony can not exist without the threat of violence'
The GD was good, I talked about the fear of violence acting as a negative incentive for something positive. Also talked about nuclear detterence and how the threat does not actually lead to proper relationships at a personal level. Had more talk aobut but couldn't come in. But overall I think I did ok.
The noise levels were ok(compared to Hyd TIME GDs it was positively peaceful but high level of noise compared to IIM-I GD)
After the GD was over, they say that everyone would be called in the order that they were called in for GD. That makes me last , so I go and ask them if they could reschedule mine as I had a train at 6:45 but they said they would finish by 5:00(this was at 2:40 and we were 9)

They come and call the first person at 3 and almost everyone comes out with sweat on the brow. The geezers stressing everybody out with acads Everyone is having an interview duration somewhere between 7-12 min.
My turn finally comes after a not as long as anticipated wait but by that I want to finish and rush and catch the train.By the way the time was 4:30.

Ok the people inside are are the Oldie(O), the Not-so-old-oldie(N) and me(M)

O:So describe yourself.
M: blah blah and more blah
(N in the mean time is going through my marksheets and certificates)
O: so what time is your train:
M:6:45
O: How much time to station?
M: around 1 hour
O: So you are not tense?
M: No sir
O: So you will reach on time?
M: yes
O: you going directly to station?
M:Sir I am thinking of going to Cantonement and picking my luggage and then going
O: Are Cantonment and station in the same direction?
M: Almost ,a little diversion

N is still looking into my marks while I try to make eye contact with him.

O: So you are a trainee Software engineer?
M:Yes
O: Asks about training, dates...
M: blah
O: So how much are you getting now?
M: ....
O: After becoming SE?
M:...
O : So .... on hand?
M: maybe something like .....
(... indicates that I get poorly paid compared to some people around here)
O: are you satisfied with the packet?
M: yes sir

O: why management?
M: blah blah(around 3-4 sentences)
O indicates to N to ask, N in the meantime has figured out the subjects in which I go the least marks

N: What are Nueral Networks?
M: try to answer and answer to a certain extent by contrasting with normal computers
N: how do they learn?
M: using weights. comparing outputs with desired outputs, the weights to inputs are adjusted.
N: What are language processors?
While I am still trying to answer around 4 seconds
N: some language processors?
M:compilers
N: Compiler for Fortran?
M: don't know
N: for Cobol?
M thinking
N: what does a compiler do?
M: convert the program to machine language
N: how?
and before I could open my mouth
N: what is special about machine language?
M: all in the form of 1s and 0s
N: what is that called?
M: binary
N: can you read machine language?
M: it is difficult but if we have code for instructions it is possible
N: do you remember anything directly in Machine language?
M thinking
N: I know, do you know(he is literally jumping in the seat)
M: no sir
N: 1 in machine language is also coded as 1
( I was like was it meant to be a joke)
N: you can leave
M: thanks

duration of interview around 7-8 mins



Also posted on Pagalguy.com.

IIM-I GD/Interview experience

IIM-I was my first interview. Reached the place one hour before.

Went and found the block where our interviews were to take place.
OH and by the way

Venue: IIM B , K block
Date: 13 Feb
TIme 2 pm

My Profile:
10th: 80.4
12th: 81.4
B.tech(CSE): 67.92 (passed out in 2005)
Work-ex : 2 months in a S/W services company

We were around 25 people in the waiting room and the person comes in at 2:10 and takes attendance. 2 minutes later one prof comes and takes some people with him, then another takes some more and the remaining 8 of us are asked to wait outside.

Then two persons(can't find a better description) came and arranged the room and called us in one by one. I was third.

Then the GD( a case)

Mr. Ronaldo is looking on the beach at Nariman point as if he is counting the waves but he actually has a problem on hand.

Mr Ahuja is a young dynamic MBA from University of Delhi hired for International Sales. He is a good writer and outgoing and very popular with colleagues. He had brought in two orders which gave huge profits to the company.
Mr Singh was with the company for 20 years and was Best Employee 3 times, He is thoughtful, think of things in the long term and has contributed to the profitability of the company. He was also responsible for countries like Dubai, England in the past.He has said many times that" What ever i do should have long term inplications"(or something like that)

Mr.Ahuja is friendly and helpful to subordinates but puts a lot of pressure when an order has to be delivered. He is impatient and likes to get things done then and there.

Because of delivery date given for some order by Mr. Ahuja, the production comes under lot of pressure.And in doing so the quality falls and the goods are returned by the customers.

Mr.Ahuja says "Getting order is my job and delivery is your job". When asked by Mr.Singh , Mr. Ahuja sya s that eh got the order on his own strength and..(don't remember the exact words but something on the lines of i make the decision).So the issue goes higher up.

Mr. Singh asks Mr.Ronaldo to shift Mr.Ahuja. Mr.Ronaldo is perplexed becoz thillnow Mr.Ahuja has delivered profits to the company and this is the first time a slip has occured.
And Mr.Singh has been consistent and has the long-term in mind.

Mr.Singh knows Mr.Ahuja's father who is also a businessman. Mr.Singh's son and Mr.Ronaldo's daughter are classmates. Mr Ronaldo knows both of them have their strengths and weaknesses.

What should Mr.Ronaldo do?

That was the case and I hope I have written all the details. We had 5 minutes for reading, 16 for discussion and 5 for writing summary!

The Gd was pretty cool with almost everyone getting to talk how many ever times they wanted to talk and towards the end there was half a minute silence . It was boring and everyone was looking at each other hoping it would get over soon. In between one member even summarized the line of action to be taken.
I talked 4-5 times but made substantial contributions each time(atleast the next two speakers continued what i was talking about)

Then the summary, I wasn't even halfway through when they asked me to stop .
Oh and we were supposed to use the last page of the Interview form to write the summary.

Then we were told to wait outside and that we would be called in any order(and I was like 'oh shucks , my train at 6:45')

They take their time and call the first person in and he comes out after 25 minutes saying that they asked him about almost everysubject on the mark sheets.(ok here go my chances for a six).He had some 94% in Engineering from PSG Tech, Coimbatore.
They wait for some more time and call the second person in. He comes out after 23 minutes(I had a digital watch) and says they asked soem weird acad questions like application of laws of thermodyanamics in telecome(he was doing his telecom engineering)

Then one of the two comes out(P1) and looks at me and signals me in and then confirms Sajeev right?

I stand at the door and ask 'May I come in?'(dumb i know but it seem to be the form thing to do )

I go, take my seat.

P2: Show your certificates. P1 takes them and starts going through them.

P2: So you have got a job. Don't you want to continue working ?
(still no reply from my side and my face was like why are you asking me this)
P2: (in trailing voice)You are getting a good salary.So do you want to continue if you get a seat ?
Me:(sort of realise that I have to say some thing) Saar..(before I could say anything else)

P2: So what was your favourite subject in college?
Me: In my first year..
P2: No! in all of engineering?
Me: Algorithms, AI, Networks..
P2: Why is Artificial Intelligence called so?
Me: blah blah about Artificial and Intelligence
P2: Why use computers? Can't others be used.
Me: more blah .not that confidently but mostly right.
P2: What algorithm is used to retrieve data from memory?(where did that coem from)
Me don't remember sir.
P2: tell me any algorithm that you know
Me: Tell some sorts and searches and add bankers algorithm for good measure.
P2: What is complexity?
Me: Blah blah
P2; explain using example
Me: Talk about Bubble sort and quick sort and so on so forth

then after about 6-7 minutes P2 gets bored and understands that my 677.92 is a reflecton of my acads and aks the other one to have a go at me.
P1: So you stay in Trimulgherry, tell us what is there in Trimulgherry?
Me: Sir, it is an are where quite a few military people stay and they have there canteens and so on
P2: What do they have?
ME: (ok) EME
P1: full form:
Me:Electronics and Mechanical Engineering
P2:Electronics?
Me: I am sorry sir , it is Electrical
P1: They have something there, what is it?
Me;(try to think and remember but no chance )don't know sir
P1: A friend of yours has come to Hyd and wants to visit places which 5 places whill you take him to?
Me: Charminar, Golconda, Prasads IMAX(for the amusements there ), Tank bund, Hitec City(what else for a S/W engg)(forgot Eat Street )

P1: So why are Hyderabad and Secunderabad called twin cities?
Me: blah blah
P1:who is the governor AP?
me: till the cabinet reshuffle it was Sushil Kumar Shinde, now the governor of Orissa has got additional charge of AP and he happens to be Rameshwar Thakur.
P1: So where did you stay in England? and why did you go there?
Me: blah blah
P1: what are the similarities that you find between here and there?
Me(you could have asked me so many things but why this?):Start of with something but move on to differences(use the word bravado so they are a little bit interested and then I sput a lot of crap)
P2: Name of your college
me: Insti....
P2: when was it started?
me: 2000
P1:you are working in Karnataka , who is the Governor of Karnataka?
ME(Shucks I don't remember) Sir I am not working in Karnataka and I don't know the governor
P2: you should know. ( i think i smiled)
P2:What were you doing before you joined your company 0n October 22
Me: we had training at the company and then taken on rolls
P2: How were you selected for training?
Me: exam, Gd,Pi
P2: how many wrote?
me:16 selected out of some 600 odd
P2: what is it an online test?
me: no, normal
P1: Recently a major religious incident took place in Karnataka do you know about it?
Me: No I don't know
P1: It was covered extensively, IT happens once in 12 years..
Me: Sir I know what happens once in twelve years but not what happened in Karnataka recently
P2: what?
me: me talk about the dip in each river....
P2; where in Ap of late?
me; Godavari Khani,...
P1toP2:anything else ,no you can go
Me ; say thanks(what nothing on economics, no hobbies, nowhy mba(iknow i filled in the form but still))

While closing the door, the door bangs.

It was very general and I am not sure what to make of it!

An update on my preparation(???)

While the fact that I haven't blogged for a long time is in some part due to the fact that I am lazy(ok not partly but wholly) , it is also down to the fact that I have been trying to prepare(if such a thing is possible) for my interviews(Some of you might ask what about the GDs but I have realised that it is pretty much inconsequential and I have stopped going to TIME, maybe I will go after I get beaten up in GD for IIM Indore).

I have had one mock interview which was a disaster.

However I have enjoyed the experience so far. As has been already pointed out I think a lot even when I don't have to. But now that I am being forced to think and try to crystallize the thoughts, I am enjoying the experience. Each day is either a struggle or a breeze. Massive mood shifts occur as I keep thinking and try to keep going.
Things do seem overwhelming, there is so much to learn and read. And there doesn't seem to be an objectively perfect answer to the question of why MBA? It is something which is doesn't sound that good when I say it aloud even though I know why I want to do it(intuitively and otherwise). Ok for those of you interested in knowing this is why.
I usually see the big picture when confronted with a problem and in general look at thing from various points of views I enjoy working with people and ideas rather than the very useful(but irritating) machine in front of me. .And I also have to make a living(unfortunate but true).So as I evaluate my options I think management is something which I would really enjoy.(Ofcourse I would also get a proper pay but that doesn't matter). I also am analytical and also those things as a result of my engineering degree so I would be well equipped with the qualities a manager needs.

So thats how things have been going!
In the process, I have had friends who have been listening to me and trying to encourage(if that is possible).
So the mindset that I have decided to have is this: I am nervous but not bothered. I desparately want to get into an IIM and do my MBA(rather PGDM) but if I am not good enough so be it.It is totally the will of God if I get into an IIM or not.

The task at hand seems to be overwhelming but whatever happens I think it is an experience worth having.(Hope I will be able to say this after the whole process is over!)

Random ramblings

While I regularly indulge in evaluating myself and ofcourse berate myself in the process(ofcourse i deserve that).
However I am now being forced to thik more about myself and ofcourse the world in general. I know everyone is supposed to have some strengths and weakness but I sometimes wonder if have any strengths at all. Tis is probably because we always try to compare ourselves with others and ofcourse there are loads of people who have one quality at which they are better than a lot of people( which includes me). So what?

I have to confess at this point of time I am feeling both desparate and helpless. Because I have got this job which I don't particualry enjoy and then there are calls from the IIMs for which I don't have the time to prepare. Then there are the application forms which have to be filled in.

So what do I tell them?
I think I am not good but I do think that an MBA is the way forward for me and would suit me best?
Oh really!

But then again when I think about it my problems amount to zilch compared to what others have to go through. And it especially hurts when a very dear friend suffers. Especially when it seems to be without fault. The worst part being I can't do anything major about it.

So life continues to pose its questions. And when I was supposed to be on top I enjoyed it. But the things sort of fade away and while things are going fine they no longer are great.

I guess I am making no sense whatsoever and i stop here.

PS: Anyone with help can always do so!

Books and I

So now I have been tagged about the books I read.
The culprit being Prashant again. However I have taken my own sweet time in getting around to doing it.

My interest in reading was a result of my mother telling me stories (mostly from the Bible or biographies of people like William Carey)

So I started my reading with the Children's Bible when I was 5-6 and quickly to the New International Version (NIV) when I was in my second class(7 years).
Then I went on to reading the newpapers(Indian Express and sometimes the Hindu). There was Sportstar and India Today too with Frontline making an appearance once in a while.

Then I discovered Tinkle and a little later Enid Blyton.
My train journeys(which used to take place pretty frequently) were occasions for me to get more and more material to read.
Once I started reading novels from my 5th there was no stopping me.
And fortunately for me I got to spend one year at England during my schooling and when I was there during my seventh I used to read something like 10 books in a week(leaving out the comics)
I have to thank my brother however for bringing home my first PG Wodehouse,'The Head of Kay's'.He didn't read it and still doesn't read PGW but he got me hooked to PGW by bringing the book from the school library.
Fast forward to the Present and books are the only things which I love going shopping for(must be the case with most boys).But it has been sometime since I have gone shopping for books(almost 3 months now). And my dad keeps buying books too though all of them are spiritual or are aobut trends in theology and worldviews .

So now coming to the details of the tag.

1)Books that I own: NO idea.And the books I wud inherit :WOW!

2)Last book I read: The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel(I am reading currently) along with Father Brown stories.

3)Last book I bought: Actually I bought 3-4. but lets say, 'The Late Great Planet Earth'

4)Books that mean a lot to me: This list could go on and on!

*'What's So Amazing About Grace?' by Philip Yancey. I can read this book N number of times and still read it again.One book I would give to all my friends if I had copies.

*Skeptic's Quest: Biography of Josh McDowell(one of my favourite authors and my role model)

*PG Wodehouse's books, my favourite wpuld be hard to decide but I would settle for Psmith.

*Josh McDowell's books.

*Philip Yancey's books: Especially 'Disappointment with God' and 'Where is God when It hurts'

*The Fountainhead

*The Idiot by Dosteovoesky(hope I got the spelling right)

*Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome: too good

*Not forgetting to mention Asterix and Tintin.
And no I haven't finished yet but I can't be bothered to type any more.