***Disclaimer: The characters in the post below might resemble someone but it is not based on me or anyone I know personally. Also, I am not making fun of the tradition of arranged marriage or the science of astrology. I am just writing something which might make the reader laugh***
I still remember the first day my parents saw her... she was wearing a yellow salwaar kameez and had the prettiest face they had ever seen and the photographer must have been a professional too, as that 6"x4" matte finish picture left an indelible mark on my parents' hearts after just one glance. Of course there had been many prettier envelopes before this but this one seemed to come from a family expert in the art of arranged marriage. It had all the tiny things that would surely seal the deal...the Om on the front, the sindoor on the back, a CV running into 4 pages and last but not the least, the janampatri. Having half made their minds that this was the perfect girl for me after seeing her photograph (both close-up and full length), they decided to research a little bit more. After all, it was the matter of their only son's life. They passed on her CV to me and asked me to see if I liked what was in there. I could not believe it! Did I really have a say in all this? Who says society is still not modern enough in India? But by the time I had read through her education and was about to check her hobbies (which I knew would be "cooking, reading, writing..." from the numerous CVs before this), my parents asked me to skip to the important things! Ummm... isn't the girl's hobbies and her likes/dislikes important? Apparently not as important as her family lineage. So we flipped to the next page and then on was a complete list of who's who in her family.. immediate family, joint family, extended family, exaggerated family... mama is CEO in this big MNC (impressive), chacha is a teacher, mausa's tauji is an IAS (ecstasy) and all women in the family are house-wives (strong traditional culture). Perfect, family is definitely worth marrying their son off into. Sorry? The girl wants to work in an MNC? Ohh, she surely doesn't know the joy in being a house wife and raising children and making home. It'll be alright, the family was the best we had seen. But the approval from the highest authority still remained... the stars. Our family pundit ji had come over, feasted on a rice-fish lunch (fish is cold, hence considered vegetarian... our pundit ji did not take ginger/onions in his food either). The stars had blessed us, the sun was in the perfect position when I was born according to the girl's moon position, so together we would be as complete as a whole day. That was good, I did not like incomplete days as well. So all was set, my future wife had been approved from the photograph, family accepted and blessed by the stars. So I was dying to meet my wife-to-be. But then I was told that that was not the protocol. My parents first met their parents (thankfully this time it was just her parents and not her extended family or that would have taken a decade in itself!). My dad asked her dad where he worked, when was he retiring, how had the 6th pay commission affected him, while my mom and her mom discussed Ranbir-Katrina affair, chicken recipes and grocery prices. That meeting was also declared a success. Only after that was I taken along by my parents to see the girl in person. We were also allowed to talk in private (another sign of the 'broad-minded'-ness of us Indians now). I asked her what she knew about me and she said ..."Nothing!"..."Ji mummy-papa ne aapke baare mein sab pata kar liya hai. Unhone thik hi socha hoga." Her capacity to love and trust bowled me over. I fell in love with her immediately and wanted to marry her that same day. This had nothing to do with the fact that I had grown up in a small village and had never talked to another girl before, let alone ever touch one. I thought that maybe, in all those papers and photographs, somewhere, somehow, smart people can find the perfect match for anyone. And the best part of an arranged marriage system - even if one is a total duffer and unable to find anyone who could fall in love with him, he still gets a wife.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
...and Then What?
I have loved science ever since I was a little boy (except biology, of course, cos I was a boy!). How it explains so many things that would have driven anyone crazy if he sat down to think about it and did not know the answer. Like why does the apple fall to the ground? The phenomenon of day and night and the whole process of evolution (although some people still proudly exhibit traits of their ancestors...). Science is also about the inventions that we now take for granted, from the first fire to the modern day nuclear reactors, from the wheel to the space shuttles and from penicillin to the Human Genome Project. But lately this love has been dwindling.
I know science is on this agenda to explain every bit of human life, from the nano particles to the solar system, from the past to the future but personally I feel that some things should be left a mystery. Does it help to know that the emotions we feel, be it love or affection or anger are mere electrical impulses sent from the brain to some other part of the brain? Does it help to know that human beings came into existence by a string of accidents and the coincidental match of the perfect atmosphere on this planet? Or does it help to know that when people die, they just die and there is nothing after that, nothing beyond but just memories?
I like to believe that emotions arise from the heart and that the only purpose of heart is not to pump blood but also to give life a meaning (although i know that the only purpose of the heart actually is to pump blood), and I like to believe that after people die, they don't just vanish but move onto something better, or start the whole process again. Life is so beautiful that I don't like the idea that this is the only opportunity I have got to gaze at the northern lights or marvel at the glowing waters of bio bays. I like to believe that after all this, there will be a time when I won't have to earn money or book flights to go from one place to another but I can just close my eyes and be there.
On the positive side, at least science has given me the warning that this might be the only chance and that I should not waste precious moments doing nothing (which I do a lot!). Sometimes I wonder, what will the poets write about if everything in this world becomes run-of-the-mill phenomenon and nothing can be left to imagination? I wonder when does knowledge become too much knowledge? I guess it's every person's right to draw his or her own line. Just like my mother drew a line at television with regards to technology, I am drawing my line here regarding life and its meaning.
I know science is on this agenda to explain every bit of human life, from the nano particles to the solar system, from the past to the future but personally I feel that some things should be left a mystery. Does it help to know that the emotions we feel, be it love or affection or anger are mere electrical impulses sent from the brain to some other part of the brain? Does it help to know that human beings came into existence by a string of accidents and the coincidental match of the perfect atmosphere on this planet? Or does it help to know that when people die, they just die and there is nothing after that, nothing beyond but just memories?
I like to believe that emotions arise from the heart and that the only purpose of heart is not to pump blood but also to give life a meaning (although i know that the only purpose of the heart actually is to pump blood), and I like to believe that after people die, they don't just vanish but move onto something better, or start the whole process again. Life is so beautiful that I don't like the idea that this is the only opportunity I have got to gaze at the northern lights or marvel at the glowing waters of bio bays. I like to believe that after all this, there will be a time when I won't have to earn money or book flights to go from one place to another but I can just close my eyes and be there.
On the positive side, at least science has given me the warning that this might be the only chance and that I should not waste precious moments doing nothing (which I do a lot!). Sometimes I wonder, what will the poets write about if everything in this world becomes run-of-the-mill phenomenon and nothing can be left to imagination? I wonder when does knowledge become too much knowledge? I guess it's every person's right to draw his or her own line. Just like my mother drew a line at television with regards to technology, I am drawing my line here regarding life and its meaning.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tokyo
Ok, so now that I know Japanese, everything from 'hello' to 'bye' (some exceptions being the words in between), the city does not look so alien anymore! Surprisingly, it has a way of charming you with its strangeness. This would not work with the 'ultra-mod-hep-city' facade for someone who has been to London or NYC but there is more to Tokyo than that and to find that, you have to find your way through the forest!
This is the entrance to the Meiji forest, which is home to Tokyo's largest shrine. Now when I heard shrine, I thought it would be a statue of Buddha or something but actually most of the Japanese follow some other religion. So the things I saw were quite new, and weird (in keeping with Japan's tradition of being weird) but pretty in its own way.
I think you can see the path that leads to the shrine, here are the details - imagine a wide, very wide path made of gravel... there are no modern roads here. Leaves strewn around like the ones in Central Park in autumn (I haven't seen that myself but hear from reliable sources that they look pretty amazing, hence the comparison) and huge, huge trees all around you which go up to 20-30 m in height and then get tangled amongst each other to block out the view of the sky. Rays of light still make their way to the ground through the windows of error in the chaotic mesh above.
When it gets dark, these pretty lamps light up and help you on your way to the center of the forest. Once can't see the bulbs in these lamps and so it is pretty easy to imagine a candle burning inside, which makes you feel that you are far away from technology, close to nature and going back in time.
The entrance to the actual shrine is huge, completely made of wood. This must have been built in time when there was no concrete, yet the symmetry so right, the finishing so smooth and the architecture so amazing and different - you always end up praising ancient knowledge and wisdom. I remember seeing such structures in Kung-Fu movies, like the Chambers of Shaolin, when I was a kid. From the movies it seemed that every kid's life revolved around Kung-Fu, his master and his temple. Maybe this was the Japanese equivalent of the Gurukul system.
The shrine itself was just a building in which people clapped their hands twice, then bowed before something which looked to me like a stack of wood. There was a big courtyard in the middle with birds flying around. Again, all made of wood and very pretty.
There is a tree with a wall around it, on which you can hang small tablets of wood with your prayers written on it. Yes, the small brown things you see are pieces of wood, 5" by 3" with someone asking for happiness, someone for success, someone for world peace and numerous other Japanese prayers that I could not read. I put one up there as well :). Hope it comes true!
With that done, there's nothing more left for you to do, so I started on my way out. After walking for 20 min, I came out at the Shibuya station, which is supposed to be the busiest crossing in the world (I think it really is)...
...and helicopters and bullet trains around you. Welcome back to Tokyo!
This is the entrance to the Meiji forest, which is home to Tokyo's largest shrine. Now when I heard shrine, I thought it would be a statue of Buddha or something but actually most of the Japanese follow some other religion. So the things I saw were quite new, and weird (in keeping with Japan's tradition of being weird) but pretty in its own way.
I think you can see the path that leads to the shrine, here are the details - imagine a wide, very wide path made of gravel... there are no modern roads here. Leaves strewn around like the ones in Central Park in autumn (I haven't seen that myself but hear from reliable sources that they look pretty amazing, hence the comparison) and huge, huge trees all around you which go up to 20-30 m in height and then get tangled amongst each other to block out the view of the sky. Rays of light still make their way to the ground through the windows of error in the chaotic mesh above.
When it gets dark, these pretty lamps light up and help you on your way to the center of the forest. Once can't see the bulbs in these lamps and so it is pretty easy to imagine a candle burning inside, which makes you feel that you are far away from technology, close to nature and going back in time.
The entrance to the actual shrine is huge, completely made of wood. This must have been built in time when there was no concrete, yet the symmetry so right, the finishing so smooth and the architecture so amazing and different - you always end up praising ancient knowledge and wisdom. I remember seeing such structures in Kung-Fu movies, like the Chambers of Shaolin, when I was a kid. From the movies it seemed that every kid's life revolved around Kung-Fu, his master and his temple. Maybe this was the Japanese equivalent of the Gurukul system.
The shrine itself was just a building in which people clapped their hands twice, then bowed before something which looked to me like a stack of wood. There was a big courtyard in the middle with birds flying around. Again, all made of wood and very pretty.
There is a tree with a wall around it, on which you can hang small tablets of wood with your prayers written on it. Yes, the small brown things you see are pieces of wood, 5" by 3" with someone asking for happiness, someone for success, someone for world peace and numerous other Japanese prayers that I could not read. I put one up there as well :). Hope it comes true!
With that done, there's nothing more left for you to do, so I started on my way out. After walking for 20 min, I came out at the Shibuya station, which is supposed to be the busiest crossing in the world (I think it really is)...
...and helicopters and bullet trains around you. Welcome back to Tokyo!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Cities of the World
After a very very long time, I have found some time to sit and write about some of the thoughts that had crept into my mind during the last couple of months, but I never got the chance to put them on paper (or screen). That is because the past few months have been so hectic, with trips home, exams knocking on the door (yesss, muggoo, fighter, crazy..whatever ;)), that I really haven't had the time to relax and collect my thoughts. So it finally happened in a foreign land, where I should be roaming around and exploring the city but frankly, today I am just too tired. So, let me try to clear the backlog I have... FIFO (blame cfa for that)...
London vs. New York
Supposedly these are the two best cities in the world. Yet somehow, I always get a very different feeling when I am there. This is what I feel about the top 2 contenders for the "greatest city of the world" title:
NYC is more steel, London is plastic. In NYC, the subway trains are made of steel, the stair cases going up and down are old fashioned regular steel stairs, getting rusted on more edges than one. London, on the other hand, is more conscious of how it looks. Whatever can be plastic, (and pretty), is plastic (and pretty). London has escalators everywhere. Everything that could be mechanized, is. Even the police keeps its eyes on the streets via video cameras. No wonder the British government needs to tax its citizens 40% of their income! In NYC, on the other hand, police cars are more ubiquitous than taxis (ok, that was an exaggeration, but they are a close second!). In London, revolving doors to your office keep moving at a slow pace, on their own, while in NYC, you have to push the revolving door so hard that you tend to wonder how you are gaining weight even after all of this exercise. I guess what I am trying to say is that London gives you a very relaxed, calm and soothing feeling. It's pretty, quiet and mellow. It's like a puppy. You lie down and then it will slowly cuddle around you. NYC on the other hand is full of action. It's 'life in the fast lane'. If you don't keep up, you will be left behind. You have to fight, you have to be tough. It gives the adrenaline kick to those who value success the most. It's the city where legends are made. It's like an untamed stallion, which will fight you but if you win, you will be content in the end. NYC is the factory of the world. London is the corporate head office. Iron moves in the underbelly of NYC while London sits in an air-conditioned office completing its paperwork. Steam billows out from NYC while London tastes wine. So I guess it boils down to what kind of a person you are? Are you one who values a good work-life balance, seeks beauty and wants to have time to pursue your hobbies or are you a person who values success the most, who doesn't mind working as long as it brings you money and fame, and who measures the quality of life by prestige and honor?
P.S. Currently I am in Tokyo, which seems like a crazy city to me (Nunni, I can't understand how you liked this city!!). Everything is colored red yellow or pink, everything is cartoon and streets have no names (yup, they don't... there is a Japanese way to hone in on a destination by numbers which even the locals don't understand completely!!)
London vs. New York
Supposedly these are the two best cities in the world. Yet somehow, I always get a very different feeling when I am there. This is what I feel about the top 2 contenders for the "greatest city of the world" title:
NYC is more steel, London is plastic. In NYC, the subway trains are made of steel, the stair cases going up and down are old fashioned regular steel stairs, getting rusted on more edges than one. London, on the other hand, is more conscious of how it looks. Whatever can be plastic, (and pretty), is plastic (and pretty). London has escalators everywhere. Everything that could be mechanized, is. Even the police keeps its eyes on the streets via video cameras. No wonder the British government needs to tax its citizens 40% of their income! In NYC, on the other hand, police cars are more ubiquitous than taxis (ok, that was an exaggeration, but they are a close second!). In London, revolving doors to your office keep moving at a slow pace, on their own, while in NYC, you have to push the revolving door so hard that you tend to wonder how you are gaining weight even after all of this exercise. I guess what I am trying to say is that London gives you a very relaxed, calm and soothing feeling. It's pretty, quiet and mellow. It's like a puppy. You lie down and then it will slowly cuddle around you. NYC on the other hand is full of action. It's 'life in the fast lane'. If you don't keep up, you will be left behind. You have to fight, you have to be tough. It gives the adrenaline kick to those who value success the most. It's the city where legends are made. It's like an untamed stallion, which will fight you but if you win, you will be content in the end. NYC is the factory of the world. London is the corporate head office. Iron moves in the underbelly of NYC while London sits in an air-conditioned office completing its paperwork. Steam billows out from NYC while London tastes wine. So I guess it boils down to what kind of a person you are? Are you one who values a good work-life balance, seeks beauty and wants to have time to pursue your hobbies or are you a person who values success the most, who doesn't mind working as long as it brings you money and fame, and who measures the quality of life by prestige and honor?
P.S. Currently I am in Tokyo, which seems like a crazy city to me (Nunni, I can't understand how you liked this city!!). Everything is colored red yellow or pink, everything is cartoon and streets have no names (yup, they don't... there is a Japanese way to hone in on a destination by numbers which even the locals don't understand completely!!)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Had it been like that...
So someone recently planted the idea of alternate universe in my mind and I started thinking, what would I be, had I gone a different way at some important junctures in my life...
Year 2001, Std XI: I had done well in Class X and decided that I had studied enough and thought of taking a break from it. I had had to change schools because my earlier school did not have +2, and because of this, I lost some very close friends (although later on, I made some very good new ones as well). Hence initially, I befriended some guys who were known to be part of regular street fights and indulge in weed and maybe also drugs (who knows!). I found that lifestyle very different and exciting - not care about studies, roam around on bikes, be a part of a local gang and the thrill of being in actual street fights (with hockey sticks and chains). I must say, I am proud to be the only one amongst my friends who had moved onto this lifestyle but never got beaten up, because no matter how thrilling, I always had an intelligent mind which told me when it was time to start my bike and run away ;).
How did I manage to get my life back on track? Well, one of my new friends got involved in a Police case, a kidnapping one at that, and he pulled in an old friend of mine into it as well. It was then that I realized that if I didn't want to end up behind the locker some day, then I should concentrate on what others say is the safe way to success - clear the IITJEE! Had I stayed with them, I am sure I would have been locked up a couple of times and would be currently working in a call center somewhere. I would have been very unhappy but, I am sure, no matter what, I would have had a bike!
Year 2002, IITJEE: The 4 golden years of my life. I don't know what I would be without it. Let's imagine. I had very clearly laid out plans in case I did not clear the IITJEE. Since I had not taken any other test, I would join FIITJEE classroom coaching in Delhi and then take all the exams next time around. So I would have lived in Delhi when I was 17 years old. That means a bike, clubbing, stylish clothes, maybe lenses and shades, DU girls...hmmm, I doubt I would have cleared the IITJEE from Delhi. So, I guess, I would have joined some other college, maybe some NIT. Having been accustomed to living in Delhi, I am sure I would not have studied, been the founder of a biker's club and would have had a lot of fun in the 4 years of college and would have passed out with an IT job. So I might have ended up in Bangalore, as someone who enjoyed clubbing and loud rock music (as every Bangalorean has to) and might have also had a Bangalore girl as my girlfriend, the "clubber" type! I am sure I would have definitely had a bike though!
Year 2004, 2nd Year, IIT KGP: My plan, after joining IIT was to go to the USA. I had thought of IIT as that, a ticket to the USA. I think I might have been the only person who bought a Barron's guide for GRE in my first semester. It's a completely different matter that I never opened it after that. I think it didn't even stay in my room after 1st Year. A dear friend of mine took it and is now currently in Atlanta, Georgia, doing his PhD! Ahhh, it sounds like one of those stories where one friend sacrifices a lot to buy his friend books and then see him succeed, doesn't it! Hehehe. Even after my 1st year, I didn't know what IIM was, although my brother had already spent a year in IIMA.
What made me decide against GRE? You wouldn't believe it, nobody ever does but it is the truth - the movie "A Beautiful Mind". Having seen that movie, I thought how strange it would be studying without another Indian around, and professors who could be such not jobs (ironic, I know!)Thus GRE went out the door, but had it not, I would like to think that I would have made it to some nice college. Maybe not MIT or Stanford (as no good professor would recommend me ever ;)), but definitely some other nice college (kindly excuse my lack of knowledge of other US colleges, just goes on to show my level of interest in GRE). Having decided to not waste my 3rd year mugging up words, I squeezed every ounce of fun that KGP had to offer and regarding future, the only option left was to do what intelligent, logical and smart elder brother had decided to do... take the CAT! And the best part of those 4 years was that it was all about power, politics, sports, friends and my bike!
Year 2006, CAT: This was the time when I had to choose between many options, but all good. I had record number of job offers from KGP - HLL,ITC, Schlumberger. The last one, although was very rewarding monetarily, had been decided against due to the possibility of living in Nazira (snake infested rig in Asam) or Venezuela (where Slb employees were escorted to the rigs by armed guards) or in the middle of a sandy desert in the Middle east...or even Kakinada for that matter (a small village in Andhra Pradesh, where I had interned). And between ITC and HLL, the recognition and prestige that a Unilever carried had trumped ITC. After a lot of logic had been thrown around, it was down to IIMB or HLL. With HLL, my plan was to work for 3 years, then go to Harvard (which was the usual thing for many IIT grads who joined HLL).
Why did I choose IIM? My brother asked me if I was sure I would have the enthusiasm to study for Harvard after working for 3 years. I was sure I would not! Still, had I joined HLL, as a very good friend of mine did, I would have been making decent money, would have been in India, close to my parents, and would have had no job insecurity. Mumbai would have been my second home and I would be posted in one of those little towns like Khamgaon or Pondicherry, where HLL employees are considered the smartest people around! I might have been applying for Harvard, might have decided against it, like my friend... but I would be happy and would have definitely had a bike!
So I think that although some options did come close, I took the best decision at every possible stage. I sincerely thank all those involved in the decision making process - be it my persistent mother who prides on having pulled me back from the dangerous lifestyle, my HLL friend who made me study for IIT seriously, the Hollywood industry for making me realize how much I love India and being amongst Indians and of course, my brother who knew me well enough to show me the path that best suited me.
How have I fared? I have still not been locked up, I work in a very reputed firm and industry (definitely reputed till some time back ;)), make decent money, play badminton and swim in weekends and am definitely very happy! Alas, I don't have a bike!
Year 2001, Std XI: I had done well in Class X and decided that I had studied enough and thought of taking a break from it. I had had to change schools because my earlier school did not have +2, and because of this, I lost some very close friends (although later on, I made some very good new ones as well). Hence initially, I befriended some guys who were known to be part of regular street fights and indulge in weed and maybe also drugs (who knows!). I found that lifestyle very different and exciting - not care about studies, roam around on bikes, be a part of a local gang and the thrill of being in actual street fights (with hockey sticks and chains). I must say, I am proud to be the only one amongst my friends who had moved onto this lifestyle but never got beaten up, because no matter how thrilling, I always had an intelligent mind which told me when it was time to start my bike and run away ;).
How did I manage to get my life back on track? Well, one of my new friends got involved in a Police case, a kidnapping one at that, and he pulled in an old friend of mine into it as well. It was then that I realized that if I didn't want to end up behind the locker some day, then I should concentrate on what others say is the safe way to success - clear the IITJEE! Had I stayed with them, I am sure I would have been locked up a couple of times and would be currently working in a call center somewhere. I would have been very unhappy but, I am sure, no matter what, I would have had a bike!
Year 2002, IITJEE: The 4 golden years of my life. I don't know what I would be without it. Let's imagine. I had very clearly laid out plans in case I did not clear the IITJEE. Since I had not taken any other test, I would join FIITJEE classroom coaching in Delhi and then take all the exams next time around. So I would have lived in Delhi when I was 17 years old. That means a bike, clubbing, stylish clothes, maybe lenses and shades, DU girls...hmmm, I doubt I would have cleared the IITJEE from Delhi. So, I guess, I would have joined some other college, maybe some NIT. Having been accustomed to living in Delhi, I am sure I would not have studied, been the founder of a biker's club and would have had a lot of fun in the 4 years of college and would have passed out with an IT job. So I might have ended up in Bangalore, as someone who enjoyed clubbing and loud rock music (as every Bangalorean has to) and might have also had a Bangalore girl as my girlfriend, the "clubber" type! I am sure I would have definitely had a bike though!
Year 2004, 2nd Year, IIT KGP: My plan, after joining IIT was to go to the USA. I had thought of IIT as that, a ticket to the USA. I think I might have been the only person who bought a Barron's guide for GRE in my first semester. It's a completely different matter that I never opened it after that. I think it didn't even stay in my room after 1st Year. A dear friend of mine took it and is now currently in Atlanta, Georgia, doing his PhD! Ahhh, it sounds like one of those stories where one friend sacrifices a lot to buy his friend books and then see him succeed, doesn't it! Hehehe. Even after my 1st year, I didn't know what IIM was, although my brother had already spent a year in IIMA.
What made me decide against GRE? You wouldn't believe it, nobody ever does but it is the truth - the movie "A Beautiful Mind". Having seen that movie, I thought how strange it would be studying without another Indian around, and professors who could be such not jobs (ironic, I know!)Thus GRE went out the door, but had it not, I would like to think that I would have made it to some nice college. Maybe not MIT or Stanford (as no good professor would recommend me ever ;)), but definitely some other nice college (kindly excuse my lack of knowledge of other US colleges, just goes on to show my level of interest in GRE). Having decided to not waste my 3rd year mugging up words, I squeezed every ounce of fun that KGP had to offer and regarding future, the only option left was to do what intelligent, logical and smart elder brother had decided to do... take the CAT! And the best part of those 4 years was that it was all about power, politics, sports, friends and my bike!
Year 2006, CAT: This was the time when I had to choose between many options, but all good. I had record number of job offers from KGP - HLL,ITC, Schlumberger. The last one, although was very rewarding monetarily, had been decided against due to the possibility of living in Nazira (snake infested rig in Asam) or Venezuela (where Slb employees were escorted to the rigs by armed guards) or in the middle of a sandy desert in the Middle east...or even Kakinada for that matter (a small village in Andhra Pradesh, where I had interned). And between ITC and HLL, the recognition and prestige that a Unilever carried had trumped ITC. After a lot of logic had been thrown around, it was down to IIMB or HLL. With HLL, my plan was to work for 3 years, then go to Harvard (which was the usual thing for many IIT grads who joined HLL).
Why did I choose IIM? My brother asked me if I was sure I would have the enthusiasm to study for Harvard after working for 3 years. I was sure I would not! Still, had I joined HLL, as a very good friend of mine did, I would have been making decent money, would have been in India, close to my parents, and would have had no job insecurity. Mumbai would have been my second home and I would be posted in one of those little towns like Khamgaon or Pondicherry, where HLL employees are considered the smartest people around! I might have been applying for Harvard, might have decided against it, like my friend... but I would be happy and would have definitely had a bike!
So I think that although some options did come close, I took the best decision at every possible stage. I sincerely thank all those involved in the decision making process - be it my persistent mother who prides on having pulled me back from the dangerous lifestyle, my HLL friend who made me study for IIT seriously, the Hollywood industry for making me realize how much I love India and being amongst Indians and of course, my brother who knew me well enough to show me the path that best suited me.
How have I fared? I have still not been locked up, I work in a very reputed firm and industry (definitely reputed till some time back ;)), make decent money, play badminton and swim in weekends and am definitely very happy! Alas, I don't have a bike!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The year that was - 2008
If you know me, you will also know that I am terrible at remembering things. I am someone who lives in the present and I tend to remember only the things which I have made an effort to imprint in my memory, like stuff for exams etc. Still, this tag should be a good mental exercise (and maybe more proof that it is not my fault if I forget things - I am just made that way).
Blogs started: Two (this one still survives!)
Blogs ended: One - that's just plain subtraction
Good holidays: Three
Delhi - wedding celebration and no responsibility!
Singapore - the perfect surprise!
New York - It's like my second home now :)
Weddings attended: 2.9
Senior monkey, Piki di and 0.9 for leaving on the day before my cousin's marriage
Good movies seen: wow! here we go... The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, Singh is King, Dostana, Ironman, Wall-e, Madagascar 2, Jannat...the list can go on and on :)
So-so movies seen: Defiance, The Duchess, Ghajini... can't remember others
Bad movies seen: Very tough for movies to be put into this category by me, but those that managed were High School Musical 3 (what the hell was that??), De Taali (Riteish Deshmukh does it again)
...and after thinking for an hour, I have come to conclusion that presently I have run out of questions. So until I can come up with more (maybe you guys can help :)), sayonara!
Blogs started: Two (this one still survives!)
Blogs ended: One - that's just plain subtraction
Good holidays: Three
Delhi - wedding celebration and no responsibility!
Singapore - the perfect surprise!
New York - It's like my second home now :)
Weddings attended: 2.9
Senior monkey, Piki di and 0.9 for leaving on the day before my cousin's marriage
Good movies seen: wow! here we go... The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, Singh is King, Dostana, Ironman, Wall-e, Madagascar 2, Jannat...the list can go on and on :)
So-so movies seen: Defiance, The Duchess, Ghajini... can't remember others
Bad movies seen: Very tough for movies to be put into this category by me, but those that managed were High School Musical 3 (what the hell was that??), De Taali (Riteish Deshmukh does it again)
...and after thinking for an hour, I have come to conclusion that presently I have run out of questions. So until I can come up with more (maybe you guys can help :)), sayonara!
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