Advice Anyone ?!

Visualize this : You are solving a sudoku puzzle while travelling in a bus. The person next to you peeps into your puzzle and tells you," Why haven't you filled the the top right box. That's a certain 7." Much to your chagrin, you force a smile and mutter,"Gee thanks."

How often has this happened to you in other spheres of life ?! I speak for myself and I would say ALWAYS. As kids, your folks tell you to go easy on those chocolates and eat lots of spinach like Popeye. Fine. Maybe they have a point. ( I ate lots of chocolates and Spinach as I loved chocolates and spinach )

Your student days and everyday you get advice. Study well. Take Science with computers. Join the Brilliant Tutorial classes and crack IITJEE. Work for two years and drop a year for CAT. Get into IIMA and join Mckinsey. If you happen to be a commerce student - Get good grades and join SRCC. Did you read the news about that boy getting a 32 lakh package ?!! Beta... you can do it. You must do C.A. Look at Sharma uncle's son. He's with E&Y !! Well, neither did I go to SRCC ( Joined Madras Christian College and mighty proud to be an MCCian ) nor did I do C.A.

When I was 16 or 17, I decided to join a Gym. Those toned muscles got you girlfriends you see !! First day, one of the well built guys working out tells me what to do. So I did 3 sets of benchpress - Flat, inclined and reclined followed by 100 sit ups and 20 pushups and finally some dumbbells for my biceps and triceps ( yeah that twisted rod!!). Those were the last days of gym. The good ol' jog, pushups and crunches work just fine for me.

Ever noticed a group of women shopping. Nahi yaar !! Don't buy that top. Your bust won't be accentuated. Go for that black top. Won't make you look fat. How can you go for such hideous yellow belles ?! Stick to that indigo. So all your hopes of buying that nice looking top go for a tossed salad.

I played a lot of Cricket in my school days; the opening bowler of my school team (with all due modesty). My first game, I bowl three good balls, get the batsmen out on the fourth ball of a no-ball. Next ball he smacks me for a four through covers. Gah !! the whole team including skipper comes and tells me to go around the wicket and bowl an inswinging yorker wide of the crease ( people familiar with cricket - imagine a left armer (me) bowling such a line to a southpaw ). I told him to buzz off !! Next ball, a slower half volley and he gets a leading edge that lands short of the fielder at Cover point.

My point here is everyone gives you advice... however, do you really need it ?!

For me, I'm a selective guy. Keep my options open and go ahead with what my instinct tells me.

To quote the great Oscar Wilde -Advice is like mushroom... the wrong ones can be fatal

Smile/laugh please

A smile ain't cost nothing. You don't have to make an effort to smile. While some have a monstrous laugh (including yours truly), it is a smile that is treasured.


Just when you are lost an important file, document, USB drive and someone finds it, the emotion experienced is that one of relief and there is a smile.

Smiles are genuine and fake

Smiles are right and left.
Smiles are big and small
Smiles are heavy and light.

Moments when I have smiled.

  When you went to an ice cream parlour, the kid in the next table licks the melted ice cream cone. You wonder when was the last time you ate an ice cream like the kid. All the nostalgia sinks in.

When I cracked up what I thought was a funny joke and I burst out laughing. Then, I notice... no one is laughing. To cover up, I laugh loud enough to make the other people worry about the sonic levels. Suddenly, the whole group erupts in laughter. Now I had a smile on my face.

Looking back at all the snaps clicked while I was drunk !!

Watching Jackass I & II. Some scene were bizarre while the others were gory. Still fun watch

My first day in a B-School

I land up in Pune city 10 pieces of luggage. This includes a bass guitar, a bass amp and 2 huge suitcases. Seeing my luggage, a kind autowallah suggests that I take an auto for flat 200 bucks. Geez !! 200 rupees for a distance of 6 kms !! I politely agreed considering I didn't have much choice. Finally, reached the gates of the Institute. Get a room on the 4th floor ( Room number 408).

With the lifts not working, I had to lug all the luggage four stories.

As I meet my new roommates, seniors come barking into my room. "What's your name?" Another one shoots, "Go get a SIMS cut."

Now a SIMS cut is the official haircut for a first year student in SIMS. All you need to do is walk to Ideal hairdressers and tell them, "Boss .. SIMS cut please." The guy at the saloon gives you a wry smile and takes an electric shaver and starts trimming your hair. Before you realize, you like a NDA cadet !!

I head back with my new hairdo and pick up some snacks on the way. Being in hostel, one needs a midnight snack. My all time favorite are Parle G glucose biscuits. Armed with four packets of biscuits, I reach my room and after a quick shower, settle in my room. My roommates are all asleep. I play around with my newly acquired toy - A HP Compaq laptop. Damn !! I had a laptop all for myself and I try acquaint myself with MS Excel.

Come evening and my roommates are awake. We get talking about our roots, education, work ex. Dinner time and we head for the Mess. The seniors are waiting for us and make the whole batch huddles into one small room above the mess. We are made to wait for about 30 mins and then they let us go.

I was really tired and was all set to hit the sack and BANG !! Some asshole kicks the door and barks, "Get your ass to 404.. in formals." Yeah right... this was all I needed. Anyway, I go to the room and we are asked to do all stupid shit... Play cricket with my bum, sing a joke ( heh.. ever heard that ?)

Finally came back to my room at 4 am. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I felt funny inside.

When I graduate in April 2010, I would look back at this first day with ambivalent feelings.