Happy New Year!

Replenishment! This is what this domain and myself need at this moment. Seldom do I usually recap on what happened the entire year when it nears its climax. But this time it just didn't let me be the same. Event-FULL is the apt word to describe. There were some firsts and quite unfortunately many lasts which never were meant to last! Nevertheless, experience was the much gained one. 2010 was the year of experience of a lifetime. Filled with the essence of fun, thrill, friendship, love, romance, prayers, adventure, travel, disappointment, heart-break, revenge and what not?! Cant deny any of these in my 2010 potpourri.

From Tirupati (Jan 1) to Tiruchchirappalli (Dec 24), the itinerary for the year was destined and finalized by fate which remained unknown for me though, obviously. Every day contributed a surprise stroke leading towards an unusual caricature. Hopefully the portrait should find its shape by 2011, which indeed is gonna be the year of decisions, for the lifetime.

Career and personal life graphs were at their exponential rise and fall respectively. There weren't any qualms when it came to my education and career. The year provided me the best! My aspirations on pursuing PGDBM after my Engineering grew manifold. I had chosen my destiny, at last. This is what I wanna be! Attending classes, taking up mocks towards CAT, the main one, and JMET thereafter, the exposure was immense. Though I would consider my first attempt was to gain the experience of what MBA entrance exams were all about, I'm gung-ho on my future attempts probably in 2011. Meanwhile, Tata Consultancy Services recruited me in campus placement for the post of Assistant Systems Engineer. The way I got recruited was just awesomeness, especially the personal interview. It couldn't have been a better one!

Relationships with people hit the all time low. Misunderstandings, ignorance, duels, betrayals were cropping up badly everywhere around me all of a sudden. Cant be justified that I was all perfect and others were wrong. The mistakes were on my part too, partially. Regrets!! Result, the friends circle shrunk, its diameter being eaten up by ego and attitude. Life had to go on. There's very little hope that things will change. Taking the positives from whatever happened, I realized who really cared and mattered a lot. Yet again, 2010 proved to be a year of experience.

I traveled a lot this year, without parents accompanying me luckily! There's always this parental guidance whenever I make a journey on most occasions which I am sick of. This time it wasn't to be. I made many trips with friends like never before. Coincidentally the year 2010 began at Tirupati and ended at Tiruchchirappalli. Yelagiri, Tirupattur, Vellore and Kanchipuram were other places outside the city where I made short trips alone and along with friends. Expecting more trips outside Tamilnadu next year. The year was also filled with prayers. Not only for myself. That is all I could say. We don't get everything we need. One's gotta understand that. I somehow did.

Sadly, I've completely lost the habit of listening to English tracks. I seriously don't remember clicking even a single English track in my desktop this year. Nor did I watch one in television. I did discover the good regional ones though. Music, I feel it everywhere. Books read - NIL. Damn! :(

And this is the year I increased heck a lot of weight!! *sigh* I completely lost my physique, though I didn't turn up being plump. When everyone around seem to be gym-ing and concentrating too much on their appearance, I simply don't seem to be finding time to take care of myself. Wonder why! I shouldn't be allowing this to continue anymore. Sadly, we don't find much people who accept you for what you are, instead the appearance is the one which plays the game. Philosophy and reality sometimes go against and sometimes do go parallel. Sounds irrelevant? Its not! I need to shape up, both, my mind and body at the earliest!

Wish 2011 brings the change.

HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE..!! :) :)

Welcome Junior !

WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT.

Two years ago, some day in September....

I was seated in the 5th row of the bus from the last, the Sun in the west scorching through the heated window as i was sitting near it. I closed it and tried to have a nap as we were returning home back from college. Sumanth was sitting to the left of me. Had a small conversation with him regarding ragging which our immediate seniors "The 2nd years" had told us that it may happen that day, though they don't involve much in it. It was a Saturday and we were quite sure that the Seniors were in for some fun with us for the weekend.

Call that guy in the middle... a voice from the last row uttered it quite slowly considering the staffs occupying the front seats!

Anjan, the 2nd year faithfully did what his senior asked him to. Sumanth was to begin the show. He was asked to stand in the stairs of the closed back door so that none of the staffs really got a view of whats going behind in that staircase since it was obviously a low floor. The other seniors told us not to turn back to see whats happening there. Kept concentrating with my extended hear-power to have an idea whats gonna be done.

Sing us a song....

Sumanth started with a charm...

Yeah,
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgetting
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He's choking how, everybody's joking now
The clock's run out, time's up over, bloah!

He did it in a flourish. Lose Yourself for you. There was a dumb silence behind. The were six senior bozos listening this among which none of them would've understood a word.

We don't get your song. Get us the Tamil version of this in a paper and sing it again in Tamil.... The guy with the glasses sent Sumanth back to his place.

Is that all??? I asked him.

Guess so..... Sumanth was a relieved man, and his face showed it well. It was a piece of cake with enough icing for him.

Now the guy near the window.... Came a voice once again from the back. It was me, I knew!

I went back and stood in the stairs with a serious look. There were 6 of them who looked nothing less than morons. A hairy one, a fat monster, a specs wearing specimen, a professional looking prankster (He became my friend later!), And a couple of black lizards. The fun was about to begin. Not really funny though....

Now who asked you to stand in the stairs? The hairy one near the door began.

I climbed up and stood on the floor.

Did we ask you to come up now? Go there and stand... Retorted the guy with the glasses.

I went down once again . This should possibly be the last time I am doing this. And I mean it.

Now why are you blocking the air which is coming in through the door? Move up. - the hairy one now. A bird's nest would look more neat compared to his hairstyle.

Now you both decide among yourselves and tell me where should I stand !!! I hit back, though managing to grin.

Look, you need not order us what to do. Do what we say !

He was bound to get the worst out of me. I held the door with my right hand and started staring out...

Now look here and don't lean over anything. Stand straight.

I was still staring out without giving a heed to what they ordered me to do.

Hey ?!!!

Yeah, tell me.

Sing us a song, or put up a dance now.

I don't know both !

Then what else can you do? Don't you possess any talent ?!

No.

That's okay. You try singing now.

I can't sing, I told you.- Is there any necessity that I should expose my talents to these shims?! I better not.

Now do something for us and leave the place.

I don't know anything.

So are you gonna stay here doing nothing? The hairy one gave a fierce look.

I stared him back and didn't reply a word. I knew the ball was in my court. Considering the strictness my college maintains on these issues, anything which is gonna happen big and beyond is gonna affect only them and not me as a junior. I'm gonna play....

Now why is your face this serious? Be normal.

I kept staring out without noticing him. I felt blood boiling inside me for the first time.

Alright lets switch over to something interesting. Have you watched Porn movies? - Began another.

Its better to say YES rather than a NO to get bullied by these arse-holes! My inner voice said.

Yes !!!

Oh that's good then. So now you are gonna enact to us what "really" happens in those movies.

Meaning?!

Do we need to explain?

I can't act what you asked for.

Then narrate us whatever you saw in it.... Every time I refused to do something, these guys came down from their level of ragging! lol!

Haven't you guys watched porn movies before in your lives???!

No son, we haven't watched any...! Chuckled the bloke with the glasses.

Then I don't think I should be explaining it to Kids !!! I slapped them back to see those faces get pissed off for the first time.

I knew I was dominating. Indeed I was, taking advantage of my position as a so called "Junior" to pee on the faces of those 6 bastards. They can't lay their hands on me either. And I wouldn't be the same if anything is gonna happen to me. Anything and everything is just gonna be against them, and I was well prepared for whatever is gonna happen.

Do you think that you are talking too smart?

I never told like that. Did I ?!

Look, we are your seniors and you need to do what we say.....

Oh really ?!!

One should've seen Mr.Glasses' face that moment. He was totally bemused! I loved it. I felt that I was going a little bit out-of-control against them. Felt heroism for the first time in life surrounded by 6 men and unable to move a muscle against me. I was elated!

This is it. You needn't do anything for us now. Get something for each one for us tomorrow when you come.

What do you guys want?

I need a Condom! Hairy came forward eagerly to list what he wants.

Hmmm...

I need a Jockey. Free size. Glasses was the next.

Okay.

Get me a Maaza, 2 litres bottle and a Chocolate cake cut into 16 equal pieces. The fat monster ordered his part with a glee.

Hmmm....

Get us Porn DVDs from Burma Bazaar. We watch only celebrities stuff! Those remaining black lizards jumped in.

Alright....!

So when are you gonna get us all these?

I never told that I'm gonna buy all these for you. Did I ???

This idiot is making us beg him ! Frustrated Hairy lost his patience completely by now...

What's your Dad? Where are you from?!

I'm from Korattur. My Dad works in the Police Department. He is the P.A to the Director General Of Police !!!

Leave him away... - Whispered the Monster to Hairy. It was Game ME.

Salute us and say "Good Evening" to each one of us and leave now.... Hairy gave a last try.

I can't.

Hey leave him now, move.... Go to your place. The remaining ones shoo-ed me away.

It was a 40 minute show overall, where all I had to do was stand idle staring out and trying to remember that I was being ragged by few useless dumkophs once in a while.

Moral - Its Advantage YOU, if you have landed up in a strict college as a Junior !

Fate that you must listen to this piece of advice! :P

A Day @ Chennai Central....

04.06.08
My Aunt called me to inform that they were leaving to Bangalore by the Mysore Shatabdi Express the next day morning. I had earlier missed my sister's wedding due to the reason that I had my semester going on. And I wished that this was the right time to see her off to Bangalore since she's no more gonna stay here in Chennai. And the other news is that my another brother is arriving home from Vizag by the Guwahati - Bangalore Express which he called us to inform that the train was late by around 2 hours at Vizag. So I had made rough calculations that the train must be here somewhere around the departure of the Shatabdi so that I can see my sister off and pick up my brother! :) I'm all set for a railfanning session in Chennai Central the next day!

05.06.08
I woke up much before the alarm rang! Its now 04:00. Had my coffee followed by a bath and rushed to the Korattur Railway station (thats where i stay - 12 kms away from central) and as i get my ticket, the 04:36 EMU bound to central arrived bang on time and departed! Damn! Now I gotta wait for another half-an-hour since the 2 EMU trains in between are bound for chennai beach! Now I gotta wait for the next one which is at 05:05. I patiently hang around hoping that some incoming trains towards Chennai would whizz past me. And as expected the Mangalore - Chennai Mail zoomed past me with an LGD WAP4 22257 (unusual link!) Then there was an 8 car BCCNR rake hauled by GOC WDS6 36021 which was sent between the 2 EMUs. Mine was fast approaching and before that the Dhanbad - Alleppey Express (late by 50 mins) with a Sapthagiri liveried AJJ WAM4 sped past me at MPS! As my EMU departed I cling on to the door hoping for more spottings and more importantly arrive in time to catch the Shatabdi! As I near Basin Bridge Jn. to my astonishment my train is put to a halt for a couple of times. Damn it! Its 05:40 and the Shatabdi is at 06:00! I start wondering how am I gonna make it. Very soon the starter was given and we were off! Then I was able to sight a TNP WDM7 in the sidings shunting an empty BOXN rake. the other side the Chennai - Jammu Tawi Andaman Express crawled past us with an ED WAP4 22671. And as we slowly approach Central the Andaman was very soon followed by Shalimar - Trivandrum Express powered by AJJ WAM4 20652. The rake of the Yercaud Express was also shunted back to the yard. I reached central and made a sprint towards the platform ticket counter. First things first! lol! Before I could notice the display my Aunt called up to tell that the Shatabdi was on PF 1. Man! thats a long way to go..... 05:50 on clock. I have atleast 10 minutes to talk to my sister and her husband. And as I jumped into the PF 1 my brother waved his hand to greet me with a smile :)

C5 was the coach and I entered it to see my relatives cheered up on meeting me. So nice of them. After few conversations I wished my sister good luck and jumped out the coach as it was already 06:00 and The Tata Indicom Shatabdi is all set to receive its starter. The Vodafone Kovai Express was on PF 10 and the Sapthagiri Express on PF 11. I walked ahead to check out the link expecting it to be a WAP4 and unusually it was yet another Sapthagiri liveried AJJ WAM4 21232. Starter was given at 06:03 and they were off as I wished them a Very Happy Journey! Now I have my brother arriving here from Vizag and the train was about to make it to MAS at 07:30 or so. A solid 3 hours late! Well thats much more than what i had calculated! So i gotta hang around for some 1.5 hours.... Thank god! There are lotsa trains around and I can do a hell a lot of rail-fanning!

Meanwhile the Bangalore - Guwahati Express had arrived dot on time with an ED WAP4 22244 on PF 5 and got an AJJ WAM4 21339 (Barbie) paying the price for its reversal, while the Alleppy - Chennai Express arrived with the country's first AJJ WAP1 22000 on PF 4. The Jan Shatabdi was shunted into PF 2 and the power for the day was again a Sapthagiri liveried AJJ WAM4 20613 (too much of Sapthagiri WAM4 sightings today!) The next one to arrive MAS was the Cheran Express with an ED WAP4 22669 on PF 10 which would later leave as the Navajivan Express at 09:35. Dadar Express was on PF 7 which was to be hauled by the Monster AJJ WAP4 22646. As I went and stood near the loco to check out the action over there, Brindavan Express was shunted into PF 6 and soon came the ED WAP4 22728 to get attached to the mighty 23 coach load! People had already gathered over there to watch the coupling being done. I once again went near the AJJ WAP4 22646 to check the proceedings being done before the starter is given. The LP kept on signing few papers keeping an eye on the starter, and once it was on, the horns blared and the monster was off quite soon having already lost a 7 minutes from the schedule since the starter was delayed. Jan Shatabdi followed suit and both crawled on parallel tracks.

As both the trains left, the ED WAP4 22273 sneaked inbetween them with the legendary Grand Trunk Express in tow into PF 5 (late by 45 min) which was soon followed by the Trivandrum - Chennai Mail on PF 8 hauled by the ED WAP4 22729. Later Brindavan too was off bang on time. Meanwhile the AJJ WAP4 22697 had brought in Mysore - Chennai Kaveri Express 10 min before time on PF 3. Its is 07:10 by now as the display showed that the Guwahati - Bangalore Express would arrive at 07:30 and the Tamilnadu Express would be home by 07:40. In the mean time the Coimbatore - Chennai Summer Special arrived on PF 4 with an AJJ WAM4 21319 (Barbie)! Later it was announced that the Tamilnadu Express would arrive before the Guwahati - Bangalore one.... The display soon showed that the TN would arrive on PF 6 and soon he arrived with an ED WAP4 22550 (late by 45 min) and then the Guwahati - Bangalore Express in which my brother was supposed to arrive trundled into PF 5 with an AJJ WAM4/6 PD 21241 at 08:10. A flat 3.5 hours late! I picked him up from S7 and we made our way to the suburban terminal to have ourselves a cup of coffee. The Coromandal Express was all set on PF 9. We boarded the EMU and we were off in a few minutes to see the Charminar Express enter late by half-an-hour which was soon followed by the Barauni - Ernakulam Raptisagar Express a whopping 9 hours late!!! On our way home the AJJ WAP4 22626 galloped past us with the Yelagiri Express bound to central which was followed by a GZB WAP4 22614 with the Yesvantpur - Muzaffarpur Express as i walked home with a full satisfaction of rail-fanning! Its real fun, but all one needs is patience and a little bit of interest on trains! :)

A Birthday That Was....

Heya!
Planning to blog for a while with no real involvement in it (Damn! the unit tests are showing up), i keep thinking on what would be my next topic! Well as i said "with no real involvement", i wasnt able to think of any other except for one. 17 October 2007! Thats the day i successfully completed my 18 years in this earth and hurray! Now i can very well be considered an adult. Officially 18! Having slept late (i hardly managed to sleep) the night before, surfing the net to get some info on corrosion (but in vain!) to finish away my chemistry assignment and writing my record side-by-side, i was woken up by a beep from my mobile around 04:15am! And to find out that one of my friends had wished me on my birthday,(at this time?!) i was very much pleased and equally irritated for waking me up that early. But well, i thanked him for doing so since i have my chemistry assingment still left incomplete! What am i to do now? And what does corrosion have to do in my life? Shit!

I gathered all the crap which i got from the net the day before and put them in order with some (infact many) points being hijacked from my own chemistry book. I wrote them neatly in such a way that those hijacked ones got camoflauged into those crap material! By the way i had a look at my mobile which read "7 messages received"! And as i continued with my assignment (i am sick of this word) there were more phone calls now wishing me! A "Thank you very much" would'nt be enough for all those people! Nice to see them remember my birthday or atleast me for that matter. Atlast i was successful in completing my assignment and i slided those papers into my bag and went for a quick bath! And there goes the ring, one more phone call! Missed it anyway. Thank god, these people remember me atleast once in a while. So nice of them.

Being terribly late, i dressed up in a haste and made a run to the bus stop.... And hey! Some of them had asked for a treat the day before. Aah... how can i disappoint those people? (A treat in the college canteen would be the most impossible thing in this world!) Went to the nearby shop and bought a packet full of chocolates for them (Never had i done such an act of buying chocolates for anyone since i am not much into those!) But anyway, there has gotta be a first for everything. I boarded the bus wishing that the day ahead would not be a forgetful one. The day at college seemed to be a lot better than what i expected it to be. I found more people wishing me(thanks to orkut!) The day wasn't like any other normal day. Had an extra bit of fun with my fellow people in the class and it was a perfect birthday!

We guys got down from the bus and planned to eat something (we call that a treat!) and i reached back home to login to orkut to find loads of wishes being sent by my friends! More messages, mails and a couple of phone calls. All from my greatest possessions called "Friends" whom i have earned from these 18 years of life! And to all those i would like to say, "Thank you, thank you and thank you! You have made my life worth living!"

Seasons In The Sun....

"We had joy, we had fun, we had Seasons in the sun,
But the wine and the song, like the Seasons, have all gone...."

Playing Westlife isn't a bad idea on a cold saturday night! After a week at the college i just sit back closing my eyes to relax myself to follow the lyrics and well, i find myself lost in the crowd of my memories! Always a nice feeling to recollect those cherished moments in life which are worth remembering. And summer life is one such... The only part of the year awaited by every school goer! (and now the college life seems to be quite different from the school one).

I still remember me having a countdown of the days left as the school nears its closing. But attending the litmus test and the so called "final exams" before that is a different story altogether! Hmmm.... who cares about that? And very obviously enjoyment and fun gets the first priority with great expectations on the vacation ahead! To everyone's surprise the papers turn up to be quite easy and this is it...! A long vacation is just 3 hours away! "Happy holidays!" No more lessons and homeworks, and no teachers sneaking around, atleast for some 2 more months.

The final bell, the bell of hope and happiness rings to its full swing to mark the end of the academic year and yes, we are here for yet another holiday season.... The squadron makes its way to the nearby ground getting ready for the cricket armageddon! The game is played with the same old school uniform in order to honor it. Never mind the scorching sun in the mid april... Nothing is gonna stop us now!

But these were the those older days that can hardly be remembered by anyone. Anytime cricket, those extra hours of sleep, getting trapped in those traditional japan made television video games (the joy stick is tampered and thrashed to the fullest) and running around for those cassettes are indeed unforgettable. But in this post i just make an attempt to get back to the recent past... My after school days... Those days after my 12th grade. Better i don't mention how my higher secondary was but it wasn't the worst anyway.

The final exam being mathematics has set the blood pressure high for many and i was quite satisfied with my above average performance. Anyway its time to forget about the past (something which i definitely cant) but the results seem to be haunting me around. After spending some extra time with my dear ones i make a move from my school hoping that the future brings the best (now i am comfortably settled in one of the best colleges in my city). With no clue on when the colleges are bound to open we look forward for a minimum 5 month holiday! A great kick-off for a summer vacation. A prolonged one for sure...

But... How am i gonna spend this time remains unanswered. Reading books could be the best option and with the internet connection being fixed up, i am now open to the virtual world! All my needs are bound to be fulfilled. Satisfaction at its best! And i had heard my friends speak about orkut those days in my school (now i am an orkutter with more than 6200 scraps... sheesh!) and i was quite eager to know what is it all about. So i have a busy time ahead... After some stumbling in the net, atlast i learnt a bit of it and was busy gathering my old friends (if not the new ones) and those whom i had lost for no reason. I was pleased to find most of them..... Surprisingly!

As far as my everyday schedule goes it just gotta be the opposite of the school life. Even i have never imagined me to be like that... Laziness personified. My day begins at 08:30am in the morning (some may still consider it to be early)accompanied by constant grumblings from ma and pa. And how do you expect someone who is making his way to the washroom walking in sleep to listen all these nonsense? A great head-start for the day! Then the breakfast is done around 10:30am... Just running late by 1 and a half hours! But it gotta be more than that...

Then i jump into my chair to switch on my system and with some blaring music to keep me alive, i login to orkut and yahoo to find if someone's hovering around there and start some useful(?) conversation. The girls are dealed in a different track and may get flirted to the core sometimes... But that goes even more when we meet in person.They just love getting flirted! Hmmm... while the firefox takes care of some multiple tabs, the internet explorer does the rest. I keep browsing the Indian Railway Fan Club site to know more about it.(I am a great rail-fan and i may come up with a post on that very soon) Man i am getting addicted to the net! After some browsing and orkutting i find the time to be around 01:30pm and hey its time for lunch! Am i running on time or what? This shouldn't be....

Post lunch, i try myself reading the newspaper which normally should be done in the morning, and now, let me cultivate the good habit of reading books. I browse through my shelf to find half a dozen of them which i had bought some time back and the time has come for its utility! (but this was for the first time - not that i browse my shelf everyday to search for a book) After some quick reading i just close my eyes to have a nap to get me back in action for the later half of the day. The better half....!

My friend wakes me up with his "Are u ready?" message and yes, we are off in a rash!(in a cycle... hehe) to the nearby ground for some cricket action. Time is 03:30pm now. Stumps fixed, teams announced, rules laid, let the game begin!(all these for an 8 over game) With some fast and furious action and some serious gimmicks on and off the field, we manage to play some 6 games altogether for the day! Time is 06:45pm by now and still there seems to be a spec of sunlight... "One more game?" and the losers come up saying "We are too tired, lets make a move". And how many times can they lose? And there's one pal of mine (an ardent football fan) who boasts that street football is the best! So much is his passion that he travels some 3 km in bus from his place to play that. !

Well, time is 07:00 pm now and wondering what to do now, we take a stroll in the streets and one of our friend takes us to a roadside bhel-puri shop. Yuk! i hate these roadside ones and bhel-puri is one junk which i hate to the core cuz i find every possible thing found in the earth being mixed in it. But these guys seem to be having a fetish for that! I just order a samosa and thats the only stuff that looks neat and clean to some extent with the least amount of mixing done. I am ready to eat!

Time 07:30pm (i dunno why am i mentioning the time so precisely, but since nothing interrupts the most busy guys in town like us, things go the same way everyday) we are now into our friend's apartment. This time to play "Bluff" a card game it is. We nestle in the terrace (so as not to disturb the other folks watching family soaps) with yet some more junkies and some drink to munch our time away. With some music playing in a mobile, we are now set for a perfect "Casino De Terrace"! The bluffmasters, after some one hour of solid bluffing settle for some gossip and fun. The ultimate purpose of the meet.... Plans for the weekend are also done. Mebbe for a beach or a swanky shopping mall. Time by now is 09:15pm.

After a late entry into my home to see my ma and pa grumble once again(they consider it to be a late one), i have my dinner and again i am back for some orkutting and now i am more pleased to see most of them online (some may feel its the perfect time for a bit of romance!) Who knows? Time by now is 10:00pm. I stay online for one more hour to find my mom standing back shouting at me "What the hell are you doing in the net sitting at late hours?". Phew! Still i have someone who keeps on watching me...Time is now 11:30pm. Its time to hit the sack....

But... The day is not yet over. I take my mobile to roll over my bed and this seems to be the best time for some messaging business. Good conversations do stir you up in the night! Well the world is still awake and more awake at this hour! The nightlife, the fun and everything is everywhere around... (Anyway an 18 year old cannot experience everything in nightlife) I throw away my mobile and once again i take my novel which i had flew over my bed to proceed with the story. And as i doze off i see that the time is around 02:00am. The next day had already begun.... And wohoooo! I am 4 hours behind my schedule! And doing this for some 5 odd months, just imagine how would it be? But everyday is indeed a new experience... Thats life!