Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Scent of a Woman

Hoo..ahh..! (Listen)

Women...What could you say? Who made 'em? God must've been a fucking genius.

You think you're merely sending this splendid foot-soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs but I say that you are executing his soul. And why? Because he's not a Baird man. Baird men, you hurt this boy, you're going to be Baird Bums, the lot of ya. And Harry, Jimmy, Trent, wherever you are out there, fuck you too.

There is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There is no prosthesis for that.

There are two kinds of people in this world, Charlie. The first group is the people that face the music...the second group are those who run for cover. Cover is better.

"If I were the man I was five years ago...." (Listen)

"I'm in the dark here. You understand? I'm in the dark." (Listen)

"I can tell you this... He won't sell anybody out to buy his future! And that, my friend, is called integrity. That's called courage. Now, that's the stuff leaders should be made of." (Listen)

xxx Fight Club xxx

"Since most of my face never gets a chance to heal, I've got nothing to lose in the looks department. My boss, at work, he asked me what I was doing about the hole through my cheek that never heals. When I drink coffee, I told him, I put two fingers over the hole so it won't leak."

The fight club becomes a new type of therapy through bare-knuckle fighting, controlled by a set of eight rules:
  1. You do not talk about fight club.
  2. You do not talk about fight club.
  3. If someone says "stop," goes limp, or taps out, the fight is over.
  4. Only two guys to a fight.
  5. One fight at a time.
  6. No shirts, no shoes.
  7. Fights go on as long as they have to.
  8. If this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight.

"It was right in everyone's face. Tyler and I just made it visible. It was on the tip of everyone's tongue. Tyler and I just gave it a name... Every week, Tyler gave the rules that he and I decided."

  • The first rule about Project Mayhem is that you don't ask questions about Project Mayhem.
  • The second rule of Project Mayhem is you don't ask questions.
  • The third rule in Project Mayhem is no excuses.
  • The fourth rule is no lies.
  • The fifth rule about Project Mayhem is you have to trust Tyler.

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

That's the way..




This is how it has to be.
Isn't it!
Cheers!

Classes


With due respect, such are the best moments, in a classroom.
Cherished the most.
Cheers!

Pun In Need; Pun InDeed...

Its better to love a short girl, than not a tall !

Monday, January 03, 2005

Dear God, Please make me beautiful...(A feminine version)

One day, three women met up in a coffee bar in downtown Mumbai to catch up on old times.
Shona. Successful ad professional. Monica. Fast tracker in an MNC bank. Ana. Professor of Management in a leading Business school. All of them married. All of them leaders in their own right. Role models among their peers.
So what were the three chatting about?

" I am now on a GM diet. The Atkins didn't work for me. Sanjeev says he loves me the way I am… but you know how it is…”

"There is this young lecturer … a Ms. Perfect 10 who has just joined our department… and the Head of the Department seems to be completely bowled over…just my luck…”

"You know, for all my success, my mother-in-law still looks at me quizzically when I wear a pink saree… she thinks I look three shades darker…”

"I never ever get the size I want in any of the boutiques”

Maybe some will read this and say that they never had such qualms. Maybe they can say that because: They do not suffer from the "disadvantages” of dark skin, overweight bodies or, maybe they have reached that highly evolved state of self actualization where it really does not matter . Not anymore.

So what if a nubile nymphet with that drop dead gorgeous look was the one who got to compere the Annual Office Christmas party? And was also coincidentally the one who was on the dance floor till the wee hours of the morning. Dancing with "the boys” and not doing a "jam session” like most others.

For the rest, we do feel bad. For others, beauty seems to be have become a compulsion and not just a choice. They do spend that extra few minutes in the ladies room wishing they had sculpted bodies, (read anorexic) and fair skin. And a pair of really long legs to carry off the short leather skirt. Their self-esteem does go down a few notches.

It is forgotten that everyone has their own beautiful qualities. When their husbands and boyfriends tell them – "I love you the way you look”, they often feel worse. What is "the way you look”? "Doesn't it imply that I don't look conventionally beautiful?” They start reading everything with coloured lenses.

Society, of course, endorses these 'ideals' of beauty in full force. 'Beauty brands' would beeline to get beauty queens as endorsers. In the process, the myth that "no beauty of the face can show the beauty of the inner grace” – that they had been brought up to believe as young girls – bursts into smitherens. Today, a beautiful face and body brings with it grace, money, fame… and recognition.

Maybe this explains why an Aishwarya ends up with most beauty endorsements and not a certain Sushmita, who happened to be crowned Miss Universe that same year. The coveted title of the most beautiful woman in the universe. Who also happens to be a single mother, great spokeswoman and who has a very charming personality.

So we come back to the three ladies in the coffee bar, who feel worse as the minutes drag by. Every girl that passes by the tinted glass windows of the coffee bar seem to be years younger, wearing shades brighter and breathtakingly beautiful.
Suddenly the chocolate sundae seems to be swimming with fatty cream, calories seems to be floating on the coffee.

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Christmas Carols..!

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, .......
This Christmas wasn't any different either in this regard. Though it was quite interesting. The amazing party brought out the flavors which wouldn't have been possible otherwise. The hosts were superb; and so were the arrangements. As expected, I was glad to be present at such an occasion, having fun with friends.
Got to meet loads of people. Moreover, when I come to think of it, I was the only one "unemployed" in the party, which comprised of more than 25 guests. Made me feel a bit strange & awkward, but I had to console myself with the fact that only a couple of months are left for me to enter the much-acclaimed corporate world as well.
The new year is nearby, and there are loads and loads of plans being made everywhere; be it Kodaikanal, Munnar, B'lore, or infact, even Calicut (If some people decide to come over here). I really wonder whats up, and why I am unable to decide what exactly should I do.
Even the mails are becoming irregular now, and as the time passes by, it gives a degree of discomfort. Only consolation comes in the way of classes (which I rarely attend fully), movie breaks, and the waiting period, of the unknown.

Monday, December 20, 2004

Harold & Kumar......

Thats the name of the movie I saw in the early hours of the day - "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle". Sounds a bit absurd, huh! Well, the movie is not. Made on the lines of "Dude, Where's my car" and "Starsky & Hutch", this is another comic flick which gets you to rock-n-roll, meanwhile getting you to have a hell of a time.
The movie's about two guys, in America (both un-American by birth), getting along with their lives. All the twists & turns in their lives are OK, but what matters most to them is to have a nice burger, which they are so much looking forward to. Just come to think of it, somebody going to such extent is quite unheard of. Reminds me of the times we used to go off to all those places(of the likes of Murthal) to have something to eat. Crazy thing to do if you think, but then, everything is fair and done, if one looks for the satisfaction one gets out of the whole endeavor.
A couple of dialogues surely caught my attention. One of them says, "There's no sense getting all wild up, everytime a bunch of idiots give you a hard time. In the end, the universe tends to unfold as it should." Hearing this at 5 in the morning made me realise that whatever happens doesnt matter at all in the end. It will be, as it should be, and as it has to be, in the end. There's no use thinking about it all the time, making our own lives hell, and of those who get affected by ours. Its all part n parcel of life, and should be taken as it comes.

"

If you love something or someone, you have to GO for it." This is another one. Though this seems quite ordinary, and well known, but this befits the context of the movie so well, that you have to watch the movie for yourself, to admire its relevance.

Worth watch, atleast once!

Sunday, December 19, 2004

V.I.B.G.Y.O.R

"An empty head, a devil's home". This is a very bad translation what we have been hearing since our childhood, which says 'Khaali Dimaag, shaitaan ka ghar'. I can make out now why this saying has been on the rolls for so long a time.

Lately, I have been on the quest of observing anything & everything under the sun, which comes my way. I was just about to start the movie "Die-Hard 2", but suddenly I saw my desktop background getting transformed in a flash; from a beautiful wallpaper of a pretty girl [i won't disclose further details here, about the girl ;)], to a huge and lonely field, across which fared a big-big Rainbow, showing all the seven colors with a huge grin. (Don't think that this is something odd...Actually, I have installed a software on my system, which changes the wallpaper every 15 minutes..its just that, I got startled by this thing when it happened in a flash, in front of my eyes)

As I have developed this habit of thinking of the oddest things coming my way, this was just another thing. And I thought of writing about this here, and postponed my movie till the time this post gets over. Die-hard isn't dying "that" hard, as of now.

Now then, the rainbow, huh! And the seven colors, V.I.B.G.Y.O.R !

Each color holds a different meaning, a different pre-disposition, a different mindset, altogether, for each and every one of us. And it sure won't be the same for any two persons, because we all try and look this world from our own eyes - and it is a fact that the same thing we are watching, is also being observed by thousands and thousands of other pairs of eyes as well. In taking a look, we simply overlook the fact that though we have our perceptions, the synchro of our thoughts may not match with those near us, often leading to difference of opinions. Hey hey, this is going away from what I meant to talk about. So leave this philosophical stuff down under, and follow what's coming ahead.

Yeah, so I was talking about V.I.B.G.Y.O.R , and my perceptions about these.

I have my own feelings for all my friends, and for those, who eventually are not my friends as well. I'll try and associate some human souls with these colors, and I hope nobody gets too sticky about why this particular color for this particular person.

I'll associate Aasheesh with Indigo. Though ideally, I would like to associate him with Pink color, but alas, Pink is not a color in the Rainbow, and hence, out of contention. I have a couple of reasons why "I" of VIBGYOR goes to Aasheesh. First of all, "I" consider Aasheesh one of the best guys known to this humanity (I know this is flattery, but you can't deny me on this, right! If you do as of now, dare not do it ahead). This "I" (Myself here), reminds me of Aasheesh at first, because he has always been behind me, in all the facets which I have come across.

Secondly, like VIBGYOR needs some vowels to make sense to the pronunciation of the word "VIBGYOR", Aasheesh acts the common source of bonding between quite a few of us. You need to know where a guy is; ask Aasheesh, and you'll get to know his whereabouts [applies to girls too ;)].

There's one more "Indigo" quality I associate with Aasheesh. Britishers considered Indigo to be quite a useful thing, and wanted to export most of it. Likewise, Aasheesh is such a person(an export quality), that his worth can't be evaluated so easily, in words.

Talking about Green, what reminds me on hearing "Green" is "TeamGreen" & "GreenStream". These are not people, but surely identities. TeamGreen is the Environmental initiative we started last year, when our batch joined here at IIMK. GreenStream is the Environmental Society, and the Website, which was started by our enthu juniors, in DCE. That was an amazing effort, I should say, to work for GreenStream. Though I didn't get to work much for GreenStream (thanks to all the pains juniors took themselves), GreenTeam asked for some time, and I was too happy to give my time towards its activities.

I consider "Yellow" as very peaceful color. Akshay is the one who flashes across my mind, when thinking of this one. He's so calm, and inspiring, that its beyond words to explain. You've gotta meet him, and you would start feeling better, anyhow. Whenever I face any anxiety, I drop him a mail, and get a reply asap, to pacify my eagerness. He's got such a nice and sweet personality, that even yellow color would feel shy, taking a look at this guy.

Come "Orange", and its fun & frolic time. I'll devote this to not one person, but two. Welcome, Swap n Bihari. Although I should have taken just one name, but these two form the crux of the amusement I see as valid. Not that others are not funny, or that others don't like to have frolic in their times, but "Real" masti comes up when it is not an anybody's expense, except the self.

Bihari has been a fitting guy for this, because of obvious reasons. I had already dedicated a post to him yesterday, so i don't need to elaborate much on him here. His assets include making everyone laugh, come what may, even if it comes at his own expense. Whatever he may say, he's a gem at heart. (Kisses!)

Swap is the one who creates the cheerful atmosphere when people are around. He's always been there for me all thru these 2 years of MBA, and even before that, to cheer me up whenever I feel down, or feel a bit low, thinking about DCE. Time's not a problem with him, and at times, he sits upto 5-6 in the morning as well, talking to me and getting me to calm down.

Moreover, "Orange" is supposed to be a juicy fruit, and these two here, fill up the juice (and the spice) in our lives. Orange befits them, for sure!

Now is the color "Red". The color of blood. The color of envy. The color of distrust. I wouldn't name anyone in this section, because its not in public good to call people names, and to accuse of some things which they may not consider acceptable. Anyways, there's this person I know, who, as far as I know, feels pretty insecure. This person has developed a virtue of making mistakes, but covering them up very well in the very next instant. Moreover, sometimes I feel it has been my mistake all the way through, to let this person make a fool of me. But then, it is my tendancy (read, human tendancy) to get back, if I feel that the peron is holding back, because of human dignity. However, whatever much I do, it doesn't matter at all. On a different note, "Red" is the color of the T-shirt I am wearing right now. :))

So now, I is over, G is over, Y is over, O is over, and R is over. This takes care of all the colors of VIBGYOR. Ask me how? Well, remember, Aasheesh was meant to be "I" here. He singlehandedly overshadows the deeds done by all of us, and beats us by miles. "V" & "B" of VIBGYOR are meant to be overshadowed by Aasheesh here as well, and thus, no one gets a slot for V or B. That's my way of saying "Hats off" to him.

I'll ask you not to consider all this as flattery. All this is well proven truth, as you yourself know. Its just that, I am jotting it down here, for the world to know. No hard(or soft, for that matter) feelings for anyone, huh!

I'll get back to my movie now. As I see it, the wallpaper of the Rainbow on my system's desktop has changed to another beautiful lady now. ;)

One can enjoy a rainbow without necessarily forgetting the forces that made it.

------ Mark Twain, in "Queen Victoria's Jubilee"

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Hosteller Vs DayScholar

The other day, I was watching "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander". You'll opine the same as I do. No two opinions on this; a gem of a movie it is.
There were a couple of things which caught my attention while watching. (I wonder why I get to think of something or the other, whenever I am watching a movie, now-a-days). One of the things which caught my attention was the intimacy I share with Micky (He's my younger bro, and before I get too much involved into this nostalgic stuff, let me get ahead with it). The other one was the camaraderie shared by the friends in the movie.
The rivalry/comradeship, whichever you wanna see in it, reminded me of the Hosteller - Day Scholar attitude, around which so much of hype was created at all times. I myself have been staying in hostel since 6th standard, so I know what it means to be a true hosteller.
I'll jot down some of the traits, which have come out of the WOM (Word of Mouth), applicable to both, hostellers and day-scholars (called dayschi's hereafter, to build a Halo around the term). You might have heard of "22 Immutable laws of Branding" (Atleast my MBA friends ought to know of this). If not, take my word for it; it is supposedly the Bible for the Brand Management in Marketing. I'll present the 22 laws apiece for both, Hostellers and Dayschi's.
A Hosteller:
  1. Is supposed to stay in hostel for atleast for 6 days a week, even if it is a 5 day working week.
  2. Should never get up before the Lunch is about to be served. (Make it around 12 at noon)
  3. Shouldn't leave any opportunity to hunt down the lunch-boxes of any of the dayschi's.
  4. Should be able to be awake all thru the night, even if there's no need to do so.
  5. Ought to have a Nickname
  6. Should be amongst the last ones to enter the classroom
  7. Has to develop a capability of sitting in the canteen day-in and day-out, without bothering over the petty issues over who'll pay, at the end of the day
  8. Would have attended more marriages in the hostel, than the number even attended altogether in whole life
  9. Wouldn't be the one to let go of any dayschi's, as and when the opportunity comes
  10. The notes are never meant to be in order for a hosteller
  11. Would be running around the house of the prof, the night before the exam, to get any clue of what's going to be the pattern of the exam
  12. Will surely not have all the course with him the day before the exam, and would be seeking help either from a dayschi, or a girl hosteller (Ahem! Ahem!) [from a boy in case of a girl hosteller]
  13. Should be accustomed to play all sorts of games & sports, even if he knows nothing about it
  14. Should have a heavily inclined bias towards fellow group-members, as compared to other hostellers, and especially dayschi's
  15. Ought to have a clear, but deniable bias towards the other sex
  16. Must have atleast one case of kaatofying of his/her fellow mates
  17. Should be able to prove his innocence as and when caught into the acts of unfairness
  18. Has to have such a rapport that all the dayschi's should cater to his/her proposal, whenever there's a decision to be taken for the whole class
  19. Should identify a room, strictly other than his own, to consider his own for all the acts of life
  20. Should be able to tell the stories of his hostel life long after he's out of it
  21. Dare not regret that he was a hosteller some time
  22. Shouldn't care that its already 22nd law, and its still going on
  23. Would consider his hostel time as the best time of his life
  24. Wouldn't fail to give a comment on this post/blog
  25. Would be eagerly waiting now what a dayschi's laws would include.

Now that its enough for the hostellers, and its clear that the laws for hostellers are never gonna end, we should get over to the traits of a dayschi.

It is a well-known fact that for hostellers consider 1+1=11, when it comes to standing up against the dayschi's. I'll take the liberty of calling 1+1=11 here as well, and so, the immutable laws for dayschi's would be-

A dayscholar:

1. Loves to attend classes, and moreso, loves to go back home

11. Would fear going in for a marriage party, and wouldn't bother for anything happening after 8 in the evening.

11+1. Doesn't care for the college after passing out of it

11+11. Would hate anyone calling him a "dayschi"

Now that all the 22 points are over for dayschi's, let me not waste much of my time on this, and get back to work. Research is still on, over the real facets of a hosteller, or a dayschi, but the results are not expected very soon. It would be very difficult to acquire all the traits of a true "hosteller", but becoming a dayschi isn't that big a deal (This much is quite evident from the study given above). Now its enough, its already 3 in the morning, and I still gotta see another movie. So, get back to your work. Enough for the day.

"Anyone who refuses to speak out off campus does not deserve to be listened to on campus."