inspirational

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

- Roosevelt

Gin and Tonic when the world is dark and dank.....

Do you remember, the one time that you were a kid, and during a power outage (we called it load-shedding), the floor became your deep dark forest, the sofa your mountain and in the dark, you were a hunter waiting for your prey.

Cut the scene to a few years back, when as an adult, you found that what was promised was not kept, that dreams had a rude habit of shattering into a thousand pieces, that your heroes had feet of clay and that the music was never the same. It during those deep, dark, dank times, like a ray of flickering candle light in a stormy night, you read or see something that helps you pull through. Here is my gin and tonic. It has now become famous a the movie, but it was always a personal favorite. The poet is William Ernest Henley, the Poem is "Invictus", latin for unconquered.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The Ech Aar Manager in knots.....

Yup, finally after years of courtship the knot gets tied. And from The Ech Aar Manager, it is going to become, The Ech Aar Managers, and hopefully....the Ech Aar Family......quite like the Addams Family....

Anyway....that also explains the long break from blogging.....hopefully now with more "free" time, shall start again....

.....another begining.....

All my bags are packed and am ready to go.....there is no taxi waiting yet.....but here it is to a new beginning.......am leaving for Mumbai once again......dear old city.....the place from where it all began......will join one of the corporate houses which has a finger in multiple pies....the HR journey begins....

An alternative perspective on Reservation

I know its been long since my last post....and with that my resolution to post regularly goes out of the window.....lot has been happening around...convocation (Pappu pass ho gaya :))- will have a detailed post on that later- sitting at home, lazing around, nothing too exciting....in the meanwhile the reservation debate continues to make headlines....was planning a post on that, when I came across, this. Brilliantly put by none other than Mad Shuks.....you gotta love that man.....enjoy this till I come up with something to blog about....

Peter principle and definition of success.....

"In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence."

This is the Peter Principle which was formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull in their 1968 book The Peter Principle.

It was a wet evening today, just the kind of evening when you would wish that you had a steaming mug of coffee, a roaring fire and friends to chat with. Well it was just a wee bit different, it was a wet evening, but it was just two friends over hot burgers and coke meeting up at Indiana's, Bangalore. Oh yes, we had a copy of The Ten-Day MBA by Steven A. Silbiger with us.

Here we were, the three year work ex, tobacco salesman, and the fresh, yet to cut his teeth, IR manager; talking about everything, catching up with what common acquaintances are up to, what life is all about, what are the prospects of a jump etc etc, when the discussion turned towards success. What does success mean? Who is a successful person? Are CEO's the only successful people? What about the 179 odd people out of a batch of 180 who dont become the real famous hot shot CEOs. The aam junta might not know who a B. Muthuraman or a J.J. Irani is. But does that make them less successful than a Vijay Mallya?

Or is the guy who passed out of a B-school, decided to take life easy, has found time for his family and for his passion of painting, earns enough to stay in one of the upmarket locales of the city, drive a reasonably decent car, kids go to a good school and are good performers, is he successful. He may not have achieved the kind of life his batch mate did. But can we brand him as not being successful? The question comes down to the alumni meets that B-schools have every year. Who are the people who attend? The top honchos are there but are few in numbers, the majority are the run of the mill people. These are the people you would meet in your daily life and yet not turn and stare.

Success, is a self actuated process. It is that which brings me joy. If I am happy, if I have no regrets for the life I led, if there is no it could have been like this if I had done that thing syndrome, I feel that one is successful. Material wealth, doesn't matter in the long run, position, power, prestige, nothing matters. It is that feeling in the autumn of your life, when you can look back and say, this was a life well lived, that is a measure of success. What could have been, what could be done, what I dint do, those are immaterial. What matters is what I did, how many people did I make a difference to.

This brings me back to the Peter Principle. The principle says man rises to the level of his incompetence, and if you actually sit back and analyze the lives of people you know, take a third party independent view, and look at their lives, their career paths, their life paths follows the equation

y=m ln(x) -b

In the long run, it plateaus out. And initial thrust depends on how good you are. An academic topper will perform better than the last guy who will perform better than the guy who never made it. It is just one of the ways of the world. And thats when Peter principle kicks in, when you thrust a donkey into the world of race horses, the donkey performs, but to his potential, and which might be better than the performance of the average donkey, but is no where near the performance of the race horse.

But, if the donkey decides to sniff the grass, and observe the crowd, if he decides that he is here for the fun of the run and not necessarily to be the winner, it will be a much more enjoyable race for him as well as for the guy riding him. And at the end, when the race is over, everyone is led to a common stable, where they get the same oat to eat. So maybe it is time, that we decided to look around and sniff the air, look at the grass, the meadow and the bright blue sky, for often in our quest for achieving the top of the pyramid, we let life pass us by and then, in the end, it is always, "I was the topper of my batch and could have done such and such, but....". Life is calling, it is up to us to take the plunge.

Testimonial time

It is that time of the year again when you write testimonials for your friends and your friends write one for you. Then there are the year book photos etc etc. Each passing day reminds you how close you are to leaving the campus.

Some wonderful people, some people who you have grown close to. People who you look up to and who look up to you.

To part is the lot of all mankind. The world is a scene of constant leave-taking, and the hands that grasp in cordial greeting to-day, are doomed ere long to unite for the last time, when the quivering lips pronounce the word - "Farewell." It is a sad thought, but should we on that account exclude it from our minds? May not a lesson worth learning be gathered in the contemplation of it? May it not, perchance, teach us to devote our thoughts more frequently and attentively to that land where we meet, but part no more?

How many do we part from in this world with a light "Good-bye," whom we never see again! Often do I think, in my meditations on this subject, that if we realized more fully the shortness of the fleeting intercourse that we have in this world with many of our fellow-men, we would try more earnestly to do them good, to give them a friendly smile, as it were, in passing (for the longest intercourse on earth is little more than a passing word and glance), and show that we have sympathy with them in the short quick struggle of life, by our kindly words and looks and action. - Coral Island, R. M. Ballantyne

on letting go.....

We, as humans, are strange creatures. We forget that we cannot protect and shelter those people we care for most, always. We cannot be there for them forever. We cannot decide for them. Play God for them. It is best to let go when the one you care about is ready to take the leap. That maybe you kid, your younger sibling, anyone....Let go is the buzz word. Stop trying to be the destiny maker. Let them follow their dream. Just be there for them if they stumble and need your help to steady themselves.

Leaving you with a poster of the amazing Walt Disney movie, "Finding Nemo"...





----------------
Now playing: Antaragni - i still ove you
http://foxytunes.com/artist/antaragni/track/i+still+ove+you

.....on growing up

Was talking to Daffodils today....yes the same Daffodils with whom I keep fighting....we do have our shared sibling moments also [:p]...anyway...and that got me thinking....why do we always dread change?...why do we want to cling to the existing present?....here we were just a little over 18 months ago introduced to this place and we longed to go back....and now when we shall actually go back....some part is looking forward to going back...but then there is that little part which doesn't want to let go....wants to remain a child....but I think that aging gracefully is more important...

30 days

Well Ensemble'08 ended in a grand note. The last college fest that I shall be involved in. It also marks the beginning of the end of XL life. Some 30 odd days to go. Nothing happening in the campus. Lateral offers that were pouring in at the beginning of the year are now down to a trickle again. The usual gyaan giving sessions are on. Surprising how two years in a B school makes you so knowledgeable about life. XL in many ways is a microcosm of the entire world. You meet many different kinds of people here, from different walks of life, specialized in different fields of education....and then it hits you...that education is not the only thing that makes the people on the top tick....it calls for something else....and that something is found in the corridors of XL, in the mess, in the hostels in JLT....If RIT made a man out of a boy, XL added the finishing touches and in more than one way made me ready to go out and take on the world...here is to the last few days in this wonderful place, to some of the most wonderful people I met here, to the long lost younger sibling I found here.....

Just wondering......2

.......faced with that dilemma I chose to walk away....with the happy memories of some wonderful time spent together......of dreaming about the future.....of planning about nothing in particular.....of sharing stories about life.....I may be doing wrong....maybe it is wrong for me to refuse to bridge the gap......but to me the chasm is just too huge......and instead of getting hurt time and again.....i choose to leave......to move on......thank you for all that you have been dear friend......for all the time....for all the laughter and joy......for being you.....for letting me be me.....for keeping an eye out so that I don't fall....for holding me when I stumble.....for providing me with a platform to reach the stars.......some day some where we shall meet again.....and hopefully with the past behind us, we shall be able to make up....and then talk bout the old times and the old days......

Just wondering......

What do you do when you have to hide your true feelings because a dear friend hurt you? And that dear friend happens to be the confidant with whom you shared everything? And there was a fissure which over time has become a chasm.....when both are trying to reach out.....but both have egos the size of mountains which will not let you acknowledge that there have been mistakes made on both sides.....that some where deep down you both still care.....but there are other people who are more important now....do you get back for old times sake? or do you walk away with the happy memories and leave the bitter ones behind?.....wondering.....

Kandisa

This is the lyrics to the song Kandisa, by Indian Ocean. A song that was an old aramic prayer song. This has been fused into a life infusing, beautiful chant that rejuvenates you and is my greatest therapy when I find that life is just hitting me a bit too hard..... And for good effects am including the photograph of the band too....




Kandisa Alahaye, Kandisa Esana
Kandisa Alahaye, Kandisa Esana
Aalam Balam Aalam, Aamenu Aamen
Sliha Mar Yose, Almaduba Kudisa
Aangen Dhanusa, Nehave Dukharana

Aalam Balam Aalam, Aamenu Aamen
Sliha Mar Yose, Almaduba Kudisa
Aangen Dhanusa, Nehave Dukharana
Kandisa Alaha, Kandisa Esana, Kandisa La Ma Yosa Isaraha Malem

Aalam Balam Aalam, Aamenu Aamen
Sliha Mar Yose, Almaduba Kudisa
Aangen Dhanusa, Nehave Dukharana
Kandisa Alaha, Kandisa Esana, Kandisa La Ma Yosa Isaraha Malem

...

Aalam Balam Aalam, Aamenu Aamen
Sliha Mar Yose, Almaduba Kudisa
Aangen Dhanusa, Nehave Dukharana
Kandisa Alaha, Kandisa Esana, Kandisa La Ma Yosa Isaraha Malem

The Best Moments in Life

Got this as a chain mail. Somehow agree with it....so it is here....it is not my creation.....but it still is mine....

T h e B e s t M o me n t s I n Li f e

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing till your stomach hurts.

3. Enjoying a ride down the country side.

4. Listening to your favorite song on the radio.

5. Going to sleep listening to the rain pouring outside.

6. Getting out of the shower and wrapping yourself with a warm, fuzzy towel.

7. Passing your final exams with good grades.

8. Being a part of an interesting conversation.

9. Finding some money in some old pants.

10. Laughing at yourself.

11. Sharing a wonderful dinner with all your friends.

12. Laughing without a reason.

13. "Accidentally" hearing someone say somthing good about you.

14. Watching the sunset.

15. Listening to a song that reminds you of an important person in your life.

16. Receiving or giving your first kiss.

17. Feeling this buzz in your body when seeing this "special" someone.

18. Having a great time with your friends.

19. Seeing the one you love happy.

20. Wearing the shirt of a person you love and smelling his/her perfume.

21. Visiting an old friend of yours and remembering great memories.

22. Hearing someone telling you "I LOVE YOU"

&
ABOVE ALL - REACHING THE TARGET SET BY YOU......... ...

The Year that was...

2006....a year to remember...what started out as a yet another year heralded a change in my life.
The year started with a New Year party to remember at our place at Thane. Popat, Kachhu, Cheeku and yours truly. A wild party....a way to bring in the year that would be.

First week end saw me traveling to the other end of Mumbai, for XAT. The CAT results were out just before and I saw no hope for me. XAT was decent, as usual, one kindda tends to become used to this after umpteen number of attempts...looked around for Arjun; he was not to be seen. Big deal...went back home. Next day come to know that Arjun was dead drunk, too drunk to come for XAT. The realisation of what he missed dint hit home until later, when the results came.

Back to work, good old Syntel. Night shifts galore. Praksh was coming back for sometime, it was hell. Portal was supposed to be our domain now. New team members, Mani, Harikesh, and Sukant holding fort. Thanks guys!! You people deserve a mention.

Jan end, XAT results, I have an XLRI shortlist. Good. Then an XIMB and a GIM. Life looks up. Tell my project manager, Manas, that I might leave. The best words ever from him, "If you are going for the interview, go with the confidence that you will leave Syntel, else dont go." Words, that inspire, and command. My first boss, and role model, Manas Padhye. Hope I get a boss like you again.

Feb went in a flash. Reading up, work pressure being handled by the team. A team, spread across geographies, but united nevertheless. No MBA institute can better epitomise team work and team spirit. The big days of March. The first interview, XLRI.

March afternoon in Mumbai, bit hot. Quite humid. Reach the interview location. No mistakes this time. Previous candidate comes out, and yours truly barges in. Interview panel, PR, AP, Fr.A. PR looks up, who are you? Wish the floor opens up and swallows me. My dream institute. Come on. What did I do? Anyways, collect my wits. Stare stupidly as they mark the previous candidate. Anyways, the interview is on.

Come out dazed, stopwatch in pocket says interview lasted 6 minutes. 6 minutes, that's too less. Call up my Guru, Tanmay. Tanmay, diplomat, says, 6 minutes means they liked you or they dint. Am like, dude, I know that. Tell me something I don't know. Went over word by word analysis. Then Guru says, think you should make it. Tere mooh mein ghee shakkar...thanks mate. Optimism pays.

Rest of the interviews go in a blur. Work is getting hectic. It is getting irritating travelling in the Mumbai heat. Nights are getting longer. Kanjur station is a welcome respite, for home is just 15 mins away now.

March end. The wait ends. Results are out. I am in XLRI. Hand in my resignation to Manas. Maybe am the first employee, who asks him the format of the resignation letter. And he gave it to me. Gave him ample notice. But now, not interested in work anymore. Some how come to office and do the least amount. Train the new comers. Fraxing starts already.

Time to shift house. The lease has expired. We find one, closer to the station. Nice place. Bachelors shifting house. All our worldly possessions fit in two autos. We shift in. Cheeku decides to leave us, he is quitting Mumbai. He moves on. Now it is only the two of us, Popat and me. Kachadiya decides to shift in.

XLRI fees has to be paid. SBI goes on a strike. Heart in hand. I wait. Thankfully things work out. No issues.

One month, passes in a whirl. May end. My bags are packed. I am ready to go. My last day at Syntel. Exit interview is done. The HR lady asks, what happened, dint like the project. No, mam, loved the project. Leaving to follow my dreams.

At last, the day to leave. Guys come to see me off. Dadar station, Chalukya express; headed home, to Bangalore. Bye bye Mumbai, with all your heat and humidity, your floods and traffic jams, you taught me to take life, each day as it comes, and to chill out when your work is done, as if there is no tomorrow. Will miss you. Will miss a lot of people too.

Bangalore....home sweet home...some work to be caught up on. Lots of people to meet. And, of course my sweetest Ruchi. Fifteen days later, it is June and I am headed to Jamshedpur.

Jamshedpur, the place that made a man out of mama's boy. The place that taught me a lot and also taught me engineering. The place, that let me make friends. Some for life. And the place which gave me a better half in life.

Dusty, sleepy industrial town. Nothing much changes here. Moved in to XLRI. The place is small, but am looking forward to meeting the people.

XLRI. Dream world. A place where people dream to get in, then work their backside out to get out. Met some nice people, some super nice people, some good people and met a crazy air force pilot with a heart of gold. Fl. Lt. Rajat Shahi. Person par excellence. A gentleman to the core. But, yes, he is mad. Induction programme came and went. Lot of academic work. Met a quiet little girl, and a bond developed. A brother with his lil sister. Komal made an appearance.

First term showed how rusty I was with books. Writing notes in class was a torture. I had not used a pen after college, except to sign cheques and fill MBA forms. It was relearning how to study.

Introduction to XL culture followed. Adventure and village trip. The other side of life. Playing badminton and getting wet in the rain. Living a life.

September end, term 1 ends, the end term exams are on. Shit!!! I don't know a thing. Last minute studies and mugging. One week and the pain is over. I am headed back home.

Week later am back. It is the second term. Time for SIP. Companies, PPTs to attend, forms to be filled. Everyone wants a SOP, short and long term goals. Short term goal...that's a joke...it is to survive here. Calls to Ruchi increase. I am not able to handle this. Shortlists are coming out. List after list. Name in not there. Death is a great leveller, campus placements are too. It doesn't matter what you know or what you don't. Nothing else matters. It is one company that wants you.

Day 1, no luck. Day 2 no luck till the end. Have to move on to slot 2. That is bad. Heavy at heart go back to sleep. Am woken up by Rajat. "You are through in IBM". He actually spent the night waiting for the results. Thanks man. I am out of the process.

SIP end, time to catch up with all the missed work. Classes are on. The term is ending. The end terms are coming. And suddenly, it is time to go back home. End of term 2. End of 2006.

Overall a roller coaster ride. A year that saw me move on to chase my dreams. Sometimes there were doubts. Sometimes there were fears. I metamorphosed from a software engineer, to a student. And now, waiting for the new batch. I am a senior student. A year that taught me more than my other years put together. A year that showed me that the world is tough, but tough people survive. A year that was all things good, some things not so nice, some tough, some soft, some filled with laughter, some joy....spiced with little tears, some heartaches, a tiny bit of sorrow. Years will come, hope each year is as wonderful as the last. My wish for the new year is that I wish to start on the following long pending work:

1. Have some patience while taking decisions
2. Some career planning
3. Where do i want to go from here
4. Get a new hobby
   

Here is wishing myself a very happy new year.

dhaak......

I had started writing this post way back during Pujo last year. Never got around to publish it. Posting it as it is. Also there is a new video here. Dhaak....created by Rajesh Chakraborty, this does capture the essence that is Pujo. Aasche bochor aabar hobe, maa aabar aasbe....
___________________________________________________________

This is post long overdue. A lot has changed since my last proper post. My last day at Syntel was aeons back. In between I spent the months coming to terms with XL. In the blink the first Sem flew and here I am in the second Semester. But that is not the subject of this post. As the title suggests, this post is about the humble dhak.

"Dhaak", an image associated with Durga Poojo, "Dhaak", as can be described to a non bengalee, is a huge barrel-shaped drum, one end of which is decorated with feathers and on the other end the dhaaki, or the maestro; whose unsurpassed virtuosity finds expression in the frenzied pounding which invokes an almost hypnotic rapture.

In every Bangalee home, come autumn and young and old alike eagerly wait for the sound of dhaak. The first sounds, or as we say it dhakee porlo kaathi, brings with it the unfettered emotions of another year past. A year with its joy and sorrows, a year with its pain and triumph, everything is merged together on the five days of Pujo. Pujo aasche. Words that inspire. Words that trigger the memories of home. Every Probashi Bangalee, whereever he may be looks forward to planning to go home during Pujo. Every Bangalee, tracks his year by the Pujo. It is an expression of everything that is beautiful about life. It is an expression of the creativity, the spontaneity, the jubilation, it is an expression of life. And in this dhaak plays an important role of heralding the autumnal festival. No Durga Pujo can be complete without the hypnotic rhythm of the dhaak.

According to the Bengalee calendar, the days for the Durga Puja are counted on the basis of the sunrise and sunset while the tithi depends on the rising and setting of the moon. The Sasthi, Saptami, Nabami, and Dashami pujas are performed after sunrise even if they fall on the previous evenings. The Goddess is worshipped as a kumari or young girl, and later reveals herself in her true form on Mahasaptami (the seventh day of the moon). On Mahashtami (eighth day) and Mahanavami (ninth day) the celebrations reach a feverish pitch. On Dashami (tenth day) the idol of Durga is immersed in water. She is usually accompanied by what Bangalees hold as her family - Ganesha and Kartikeya - who are her sons, and the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati, who are supposed to be her daughters. This is a tradition unique to Bengal. The reason for this is that Durga is believed to come to Bengal not as the Mother Goddess, but as a daughter visiting her parent's home along with her children. She is believed to have lived a difficult life all year long in the Himalayan snows, and therefore a great deal of fuss about her comfort is made when she comes for a visit. The immersion of the goddess into the Ganga, after the pujo is over, is seen as the dissolution into the Universe of the Mother. This ceremony recreates that divine act of transcendence, as well as delivering a valuable lesson on the impermanence of all things, no matter how beautiful and valued they may be.

Auld Lang Syne

.........to all the brave officers and men of the olive hued army, that proudly defends our Motherland, everytime.......to all those who marched out of their homes in the Summer of 99, heads held high....never to return.....to all those mothers who let their son walk into the battle....to the wives who till date remember her dearest.....to those who died and those who lived....those who captured hill after hill after hill.....to those who were captured and I pray you return......on the 26th of July.....I am proud to say that I am your insignificant countryman....for whos tomorrow you gave your today................

Bachelor house hunting...

Last two weeks were spent in house hunting. House hunting because, my great roomie rather dramatically decided to give notice to our house owner. And a house available in Mumbai goes off the market pretty soon. And that was the case with ours.

So we found ourselves, the trio plus DK who is going to take my place when I leave roaming on the streets of central suburb, looking for a house. From the swankiest apartment to the chawls, we saw them all. Befriended all the brokers and anyone who looked like a prospective house owner. I am happy to say we landed a small flat, at a very astronomical rate; that is beside the point, what I realized is that there is a difference between house hunting and bachelor house hunting.

House hunting is something, that I have seen my dad do. Usually within a week he would land a property worth shifting to or in the latest case worth buying. I in all my ignorance had never thought house hunting could be such a pain.

Case# 1

Flat on the 8th floor of the building. Newly built. No lifts. Note the point no lifts. The broker said the owner is expecting 4100/- pm and 8 months deposit. That's a fair enough bargain. We trooped in to see the house and speak to the owner. Seeing us, the rent goes up to 5100/- pm and the deposit is also hiked to 12 months. Now, that is illogical. We refused and walked off. Later we learn from the agent that the house owner did not want to let out to bachelors.

Case# 2

Flat on 1st floor of building. Excellent location. Initial rent 500/- Went up to 6000/-

After some more such incidences I came to the conclusion that people do not want to let out their flats to bachelors. Which brings us to a very important question, where all these uncles and society seniors born after their own wedding? They were never bachelors? Or, did they in the bachelor days do such things that they are afraid of bachelors in general?

Come on all you decision makers. We youngsters need a place to live. We have come from families similar to yours. We are also earning and/or studying. I am also some one's son. Maybe your son or daughter will move to a new city and they will have to face the same problem. Will you like it if they are refused accommodation in good societies and have to stay in not so great locales just because they are unmarried??

Hope better sense prevails.

Small thought.....

Just wanted to ask this.....

To all guys:

What would your reaction be, if after you marry, your wife insists on keeping her collection of barbie dolls and soft toys in the bedroom.

To all gals:

What would your reaction be if your husband wants to play hard rock and trance late into the night??

Just wondering what would my reaction be.....

When life hands you a lemon........

Over a period of time and after lots of deliberations I came up with a few fundas for my life. I don't know if I am right; I don't know if these would work for others.....but yes they have made my life beautiful....

1) Chance pe dance.....

Okay this sounds like it has been copied from some Bollywood movie (yes it has been)....but there is nothing like chance pe dance. Impress your boss/girlfriend/girlfriend's parents. Take the slightest opportunity that comes your way. Even if it means filing a rusty piece of metal. (I did that, ask Suchorita for details)

2) Enjoy maadi...

Enjoy maadi is pucca Bengaluru lingo.....but it sums up life's philosophy. Hell, who knows whether you will be around to survive another episode of the crash of the titans -a crash that Elwin had in the Church grounds and he survived to crash again in Surathkal with different results, that's beside the point- but yes, lived every minute and enjoyed it is my mantra.

Many a times we think that, after I do this I will enjoy. While in school, we think that we shall have a ball when in college. In college, when the wallet is filled with more paper than money, it is will freak out while working. Sadly work doesnot give you enough time to freak, so it is after marriage. Marriage comes with kids, and it goes on. The point is, the time is now. Every minute in this world is beautiful. Every minute a blessing. And every minute counts. Live for the moment is my philosophy.

3) Fall in love....

The best feeling you can get when you know some one some where is waiting for you and only you. Nothing beats the tiredness out of the system other than a smile from you sweetheart.

Talking about love, make sure you take a walk in the park in the rain and carry only one umbrella. Millions of people and hundreds of movies cant be wrong. It is great. Walk hand in hand in the park while it is raining heavily and not a soul is around.

4) Spend time with friends....

Take time out to talk to a friend. Just like the good ol days. If possible meet up for coffee and beer. Six figure salary will not help you when you are lonely. Friends will.

5) Walk around in any new city.....

More than exercise, it is a way of knowing a city initmately. Don't be a flying toiurist. That never helps. Try to absorb the city's sights and sounds. That makes the city. Not some building. Buildings are the bones. Try to reach the soul of the city you are in.

6) Try to stay in a hostel atleast once...

Hostel life seems scary when you are living at home. But try it. It builds you as a person. No work seems to be too difficult, no food too yucky, no clothes too dirty, no inscet too creepy. And at the end of your stay, you end up with a bunch of friends who are closer to you than any of your day scholar friends are.

7) Enjoy getting ragged and rag your juniors....

I know, I sound scandlous....but I learnt this. My first year of engineering was hell as far as I was concerned. I hated it. I din't rag my juniors. But moved on. When I joined my first job, I realised that here also there is ragging. Albeit in a different form. Ragging builds you character. You cope with life better.

8) Last but not least...'Life gives you a second chance'...it is true....you have to recognise the chance and leap for it. There is always a next time. Always.

At the end, remember, life is never fair or smooth. Life is a constant learning process. Life does hand you roses and lemons. When you get lemons, dont cry...make lemonade.