Mumbai... Rocked! (shaken, stired and disolved)

My tube had been put on mute and all my ten odd news channels lined back to back. All I did today was flipped through them over and over and had no inclination to increase the volume to any audible level. The sights were distressing and all I saw was trains derailed, people stranded, complaining, hungry, desperate, women crying, death by the worst cause and I wondered about all the celestial injustice and divine vengeance. If at all I have learnt anything out of it, it is the value of having a family and a home which keeps you dry.

I have never been a negative person, I have never wanted to ask questions to my destiny which would have replied to me in answers uncalled for (lest I had questioned it.) but this entire ‘operation flood’ of astronomical proportions, forces me to ask unhealthy questions like “what if…”. What if I were one of the people living in places so far away that they could not be accessed independent of public services? What if I had parents that worked in remote suburbs or vice versa? What if the landslides happened in my vicinity? What if among the people who died, there were some of my own? I know it sounds as if I am not concerned about those who have lost their loved ones only because I was not one of them, but I can’t think of the situation where I would be the incumbent. I’m only too moved to think sense at this point in time. I heard of friends walking ten hours straight to reach to their places. I heard of people walking thirty five kilometers on the railway tracks to come home to a worried family. I heard of children crying of hunger and thirst and helpless parents waiting for the blessed train to take them home. It’s carnage by nature. It’s an answer in the form of a slap to the faces of all those who said “nothing can touch our city… Gujarat and UP are all too underdeveloped to be accident-proof”.

I can’t go on forever but the crux of the post is the fact that all who are reading this in the cozy chairs of their homes equipped with technology, should be more than thankful to have been eliminated from the hit-list of Mother Nature. I know I am.

Splashing Day out!

I never knew a city with a heavy rainfall for a whole day could probably have total turn around effect on the lives of its proud residents.

Stranded to quite an extent, three friends and I decided to walk home on this exceptional event of major city-flooding. No taxis, no buses and hell no trains. Knee high waters and noisy traffic were our adversaries. I was taken aback by the kind of chaos this kind of weather can possibly cause.

On the request of a few panic-struck students from college, the lectures post four were cancelled and kids were promptly sent back. What I saw next was the worst case of loneliness in a crowd I have ever witnessed. The students that had flown in from other cities had their temporary residence in the suburbs of this great city and dew to the torrents, the trains would not budge. Lost in the city in any case they were now lost in a college which is far away from a house that in turn is far away from ‘home’. Most of them decided to stay put and go home only tomorrow and there were few who ventured out in the quest of finding alternate means to commute back to the cozy atmosphere at home. I, for one, knew that I had to get back, for two reasons. One, staying there meant no food (something I don’t like the idea of) and secondly, I stay close enough to make it any-which-way I can. Dipti, a resident of Worli, and a classmate, tagged along as I decided to go walking back if nothing else. And so the two of us shook ourselves and walked out of the gate only to shiver harder than ever. The waters were intimidatingly deep and blood-curdlingly dirty. A customary rolling up of trouser bottoms and off we went, swishing through the mucky accumulations of heavenly outbursts. On our way, fortunately, we found two more ladies, reckoning the same fate as us and destined in the same direction too. On our request to join us, Tanaya and Khyati were way more than happy to have some company in the frightful endeavors of our foot-journey to distant destinations. So the four of us forming a clumsy file splashed through the rains and unknown water-bodies and I shred DIpti’s umbrella which would reduce our pace considerably. Anyway, who was in too much of a hurry? As I said, the entire city had turned over its head. The traffic was slower than the pedestrians and why not? The pedestrians walked in the middle of the road and the cars… you guessed it, on the side-walks. The road looked like it was bleeding cars and people just looked so lost in the face of an otherwise tackle-able problem. The frothy waters gushing out of any and every opening on the road looked disastrous. It looked like the city was draining and straining all its water content and trying to live on a waterless diet! I would have loved to take a few snap-shots of the scene but then again, pulling out a cell phone in a heavy shower is not a very good idea.

After splish-splashing for over an hour we made it from Fort to Babulnaath. The journey was quite intriguing and full of a merry cheer for all were convinced they’d get home sooner or later. Just as we were contemplating over Khyati not having called her car when she had been asked by her mother, she spots her mother in her car. We felt redemption and it was a welcome surprise as we saw her signaling us from the other side of the road to hop in. her mother on the wheel and an uncle of hers kept us on a rolling laughter spree till we almost reached home. It took us a good hour from where we were, to reach our place, which on a normal day with traffic, would take nothing more than seven minutes. All I remember after reaching home is that I ate a light dinner and passed out on my bed till I woke up with a jitter. I was wondering if Dipti made it or not for she stayed the farthest and she was going to walk it up. The most frightful fact was that she had just gotten out of a Malaria attack and it was only her second day in college. A phone call confirmed her safety and I now sit here and make a record of this unforgettable day.

I still wonder what my other colleagues from college are up to. And I also pray for those many that are now left stranded on the platforms of cold railway stations and wet streets. Mothers who are lost to their children on the other side of the city. Husbands of the awaiting wives. Children of the anxious parents who are waiting for them on the dinner table. I sincerely hope they make it back as soon as possible. Oh dear God, just can’t deal with the shivers down my spine.

Silver and Grey

The lectures in advertising are turning out to be more of a class on psychology. We have these intricate details on how a human mind reacts to different stimuli. It’s up to the copywriter how he uses, misuses or abuses this psychological trait.

Don’t feel like ranting about the geeky stuff, only, its hardly geeky. On the more fun side of things, getting to know a whole lot of people one at a time and in depth is quite a rejoice. There are these after lecture sessions in random music and singing that has had a great bonding effect and I love it. I have been out of touch with a lot of my old friends and it also feels great to go back to them every once in a while which is not too often.

I am out of all topics to write on. Somehow, I am even deteriorating in terms of diction and language. Feel like I am arriving at a writer’s block, which is a depressing thought. :-(

I will try and redeem myself… today, a friend commented on a problem/issue I put forth. She said, I always tend to be in a win-win situation and I replied, quite like a sage. I said, “No situation is win-win by virtue. It is all in how you deal with it.” and then I came to think of this one liner which I made during the conversation and totally love it for all its spontaneity and its sense.

When there are too many liabilities on your balance sheet, turn the sheet around.

Love it! But your comments are as usual always welcome.

Its All GOOD!

Stability: this word has had me think to depths even I can’t fathom now. I mean, happiness after all is somehow related to or it completely is about being satiated, satisfied and ideally speaking, having no desires what so ever (but that’s virtually impossible.) May be, just may be, the secret lies in being balanced. I am quite tempted to believe that one should at least try and achieve some sort of equilibrium in their lifestyle. As impossible and Utopic the concept may be, the fact remains that it is achievable. Nirvana is a tall order perhaps but myopically speaking, achieving satisfaction is quite in our hands. It is a matter of perspective at the end of the day. I was actually unable to word this but what comes closest to what I am trying to say, is this beautiful song which can really make you realize this one thing: it’s all good. I stand by the maxim and even live by it. I mean, how much can go wrong? The panic levels rise and give way to a tsunami of more panic. Anyway, I’ll let the song do the talking for I have spoken thus much. ALANIS MORISSETTE spake here on…

"Hand in my pocket"

I'm broke but I'm happy
I'm poor but I'm kind
I'm short but I'm healthy, yeah
I'm high but I'm grounded
I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed
I'm lost but I'm hopeful baby
What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five
I feel drunk but I'm sober
I'm young and I'm underpaid
I'm tired but I'm working, yeah
I care but I'm restless
I'm here but I'm really gone
I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby

What it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be quite alright
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is flicking a cigarette
And what it all comes down to
Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving the peace sign
I'm free but I'm focused
I'm green but I'm wise
I'm hard but I'm friendly baby
I'm sad but I'm laughing
I'm brave but I'm chickenshit
I'm sick but I'm pretty baby

And what it all boils down to
Is that no one's really got it figured out just yet
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is playing the piano
And what it all comes down to my friends
Is that everything's just fine fine fine
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is hailing a taxi cab

BONDING!

I should have posted this long back but just did not have the time or the inclination to do so. This was Saturday last (9-07-2005) when we, the few students of the XIC met up to bond and get to know one another better. It was fun and quite hilarious too.

Initially, people converged in the college canteen and sat around chatting for a while. It was 5 or so then (the time) and Akshay comes up with “let’s go to Marine Drive” which all agreed zestfully to. But by the time we actually upped our rears, it was 7. I don’t even know how many of us were there but it was a nice crowd that we made at the Marine Drive sea face…. Good fun!

These are some hazy snaps shot in the dark… no puns intended.


Eye-to-Eye… our friend Melroy kneels down to the power of ‘Amma!’


If music be the food of love… play on…. Way to go Austin


Serious conversations happening there Akshay and Revti


Figuring out.... Divya wonders on.


Still figuring out…


Line em up!


Suzy… trying her hand at the guitar for the first time.

By the way, we plan to do something of the sort this Saturday too. How cool is that huh?

Cheers!... "clank"

It finally begins. After the entire weak of orientations with talks running the gamut from soft-skill developments to development in technology helping today’s world, we finally embark upon the year-long voyage through the turbulent seas of ADMA (Advertising & Marketing). Our lectures begin at 4 every evening and as per our schedule, they end at 8.30. Its ok, I’m not complaining. In fact I like the idea of an evening college.

The lectures began with this fabulous lady addressing us (who also happens to be our course coordinator), Mrs. Anita Sharan. The first half of the lecture relating to the history of communication had a fabulous start and it progressed into mind-blowing facts about the evolution of communication over the years but sort of got heavy towards the last 45 minutes. Trust you me, all of us were imagining every possible food item we could order in the half-hour break. I, by the way, was fantasizing about vada-pav and chai!

At 6.30, lecture part-2 began. This time, it was even more interesting. We went into the nuances of digital technology and stuff and the power point got over quite soon. And as such, we were done for the day. But madamji decides to get done with the election of the class representative. This is how providence progresses.

Mam asks people to volunteer and a couple of them who were the willing victims stood to make their ‘pitch’. It was all fun and games and a laugh riot as we kept nominating names and pretty eligible ones at that. But mam then decides to ask me to make my pitch which makes me shit bricks. It was quite unexpected and I had no idea why she did what she did but I played on. Quite frankly, I don’t remember what I said but I know it was to do with my hobbies and it definitely had a word about my passion for networking and my innate quality to pull off good P.R.giri… so I returned to my seat shivering (and I have no idea why, because I never had any sort of stage fright.) maybe because I had to make something up on the spot. I thought of it all as a joke while other members were pulled up and made to repeat the process. I knew the choice would be difficult because the people who were coming up were those with either a work experience or a business of their own. I guess about 10 odd people were ‘made’ to volunteer (including yours truly) and then the voting began. My best hopes were these guys who, as I said earlier, had tremendous work-ex and they were all quite neck-to-neck. When I was pointed at, I was expecting to have the same number of hands or maybe lesser to vote for me. Wonder of wonders… there is this sea of hands that reach the ceiling with a great fervor and I am literally turning red in disbelief (I could feel blood gushing to my face) and I was humbled with a sense of pride. Mam doesn’t even bother counting them hands and I stood there not knowing why there was so much faith in me. It was a lot of mixed feelings taking over then. I was astounded to say the least and I was diving in pride. I was happy and I was also shivering with the sheer load of the responsibility that came on so suddenly. Took a while for me to sort of get over the shock.

What followed was one of the best discussions about propaganda, advertising, brand building, strategies in advertising and reasons why ads work and don’t work. Mam spoke with complete conviction and I for one, wanted to bow my head in prayer and respect to her knowledge and analytical skills in determining what went wrong where and with which brand… what a lady. The class spoke and there were these short arguments, criticisms, difference of opinions and a whole lot of gyan, just floating around. It was a mind-blowing class (if I may put it in the basest of words.)

It was a brilliant day and it was another day that assured me of my belonging. After quitting engineering, I keep looking for these signs to guide me and assure me that I am where I am supposed to be and where I want to be. It is absolutely essential for me (and maybe everyone else) to know that the 3 criteria above are coherent and that they concur perfectly. I am happy as much as I am afraid of goofing-up. The one thing that mam said after class put me a lot at ease. She said, “I knew it that you would be their choice, I was wondering why you did not volunteer yourself”. Just goes to show the trust of an accomplished person in an amateur’s ability to lead. Just the thought of it is a comforter. Thank you Lord for another experience that is still un-arrived.

Pathetico Ridiculum! (spell to ward such things off... hope it works)

Sometimes it’s so astonishing to observe how people can be so damn judgmental at times. An aunt of mine was reading the morning paper and she came across this picture of a home that had a caption which said something like – look beyond the home and delve into comfort – or something like that and she found it less of a house than a ‘museum’. So she very bluntly makes this remark about ‘how can someone call this kind of a décor, practical, silly oafs of the modern day…’ etc.

Why, I ask, is it so important for us to know and react to someone’s subjective likings? Is it so crucial to make an ‘I-know-it-all-and-u-never-will’ comment on every issue? What I realize is that a lot of us do it without knowing why we did so. Then it is forgotten. You see a man crossing the road in a peculiar manner and you shoot your mouth off, ‘what an ass, he’ll die if he walks this way’. You see a fellow sitting on the footpath and your mind starts making note of how stupid the man looks on the road… the fellow by the way is a college going good looking individual, not just any man. We want to judge the world at the drop of a hat. It’s really quite a mystery to me, as in, why should not a person, sit back and rethink a judgment before he makes one or at least before he vocalizes one. After the judgment becomes vocal one will put everything on the line for justifying one’s point, even after realizing that he had wrongly judged whatever he voiced last.

Actually, it brings me to a parallel thought. If a lot of us do this (and I for sure, don’t) then we are all a subject to such judgments ourselves, right? Which means we are also conscious of everything we do and don’t do just so as to be or not be judged? Things like first impressions and obnoxiously nauseating amounts of decency some people show in their first acquaintances is quite a favorite to many. I personally feel that observing vis-à-vis judging is so much more fun and politically correct. Plus, it saves you a lot of trouble when you don’t talk about someone else doing something weird for some unknown reasons. Just see that last statement. No parameter in judgment-making is a constant. In fact, more than variable, they’re unknown. We all might want to agree on one thing I suppose, most of the time, all that we have judged often changes its course. And then we change our views. Recall, how many times we have heard statements made by old pals which start with “You know, the first time I saw you, I thought….”.

I just went through the above and I realized, I sound like Dale Carnegie or someone… sheesh!

The Beginning

My first day, in the post graduate course. My first day, in a Christian college. My first day, in the direction I have decided to go in. My first day, in the institute where I have earned my seat on account of good self-representation.

There is an inexplicable high of energy flowing through me as I write this account. I entered Xviers with absolutely no anxiety but an equivalent amount of thrill and determination to go ahead and make my mark in the field I have chosen. I shall spare the rant about how advertising is my dream. What was or rather is important to me is that I felt redeemed today. It used to send depressing waves down my spine and into my stomach, the thought of all my pears having finished post graduation or are in the last year of PG from kickass colleges around the country and many of them happily placed with large MNCs. Some, so deep into business, that they failed to figure as pears. Some married off. Some about to be. Being stuck trying to attain a degree for five years non-stop is no laughing matter I tell you. Lesser, the fact, that I jumped fields like Tarzan jumped trees. And not to mention the colleges. But it’s all good now. I felt like a grown up all of a sudden this evening as I sat there listening to the Father speak in impeccably propah English. The English was an added bonus, for no exception to the fact that each one spoke like they were Brits born in India. The coordinator then took our batch of 60 (pronounced Six-tie… I love it) to our classroom and addressed us as ‘the crème de la crème’ for we were 60 out of the 400 odd who made it through three, stringent processes of filtration. There were moments of complete fear as they spoke about the kind of project work and time dedication that the course would demand, but those were minor details. The penalties scared me out of my wits (for missing deadlines and remaining absent etc.) but as I said, mere details. Nothing comes for free and nothing comes for pure, unadulterated frolic.

I stand here and now,
With eyes smiling and tears shining,
Looking into the sky in an endless glance
And capturing each passing cloud and making it shower its blessings
For I am a happy man today.
I have come to achieve the pleasure of being amongst those who belong here with me.
To reckon my fate with the souls who are thinking the same thought as I.
I wait and run all at the same time.
I know it is here and now for I can hear the call of calm.
The time …to stop running around and start running ahead.
…To stop looking for direction and start looking into one.
…To stop asking for help and start preparing to help myself.
…To stop worrying about unknown perils and to start taking them up as challenge.
I am here now.
I am going to be there, then.
I know I am moving and this time I know where.
And I thank the lord,
As I stare up in the sky.
In an endless glance.
I have arrived…