Of Swines, Humankind and the World going haywire...

I suppose one of the better reasons there are gazillions of living species is to make sure that Darwin's ground for the Theory of Evolution holds some basic merit, and that consequent to natural competition, even after annihilation of the weakest taxon, there are enough families left to inhabit this tiny speck in the vastness of the universe we call Earth. If on the contrary there were a limited few, survival of the fittest would mean one face staring at another familiar(rather similar) face and wondering if the former could at all find different anatomies anywhere else within the cosmos and get some respite from the latter's lividity.

It seems the day might arrive sooner than one would expect. Now, with the advent of Swine flu, there has been revealed what was concealed for several millenia - survival has assumed an altogether new meaning. Influenza symptoms have become the most dreaded of all human fears, when just a few months ago nobody cared if a stranger as much as sneezed on your face. The name itself incites fright. People are fleeing from the more adversely affected regions for the sake of their own well being, praying not to encounter a "running nose" on the way. Travelling to places is a dangerous proposition keeping in mind how easily the flu is communicable. This global pandemic is a sardonic mockery of human advances in medicine - at an age when baneful diseases like cancer have been vanquished by human intellect.

But where do hogs hog into the limelight? To say the least, they are the very harbingers of the virus strain that has bamboozled medical experts worldwide. It seems weird that such silent, innocuous and self-involved creatures could possess a trait so unique and distinct that can affect a race millionfold in population and incomparably superior in capability. Sadly, this distinctive attribute is enough to wreak havoc in an otherwise ignorant mortal soul.

As a measure against the spread of this pandemic, mass gatherings have been prohibited within the IITR campus (to many a person's dismay). And this memorandum has been issued at a time when things looked like life was returning back to usual. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Perhaps it would take more than a few weeks to regain the lost grandeur. Atleast, everything should fall back in place by the time some of us get the long-awaited opportunity to visit Europe or America next year.

PS:

6 fresh cases have been reported in the insti as per reports being circulated..... and i thought there couldn't be a safer place than Roorkee !

Opportunities will come and go....Until "The One" stops by !

"Ye kya hai?! Dhang ke formals pehenne hain....t-shirt nahi chalega....aur pata hai uske baad GD bhi hai?" - were words of wisdom uttered by the Great Pink Saint as I was about to leave for the pre-placement talk by the first giant company that has so far visited the campus with the object of capturing the best (in what terms is still uncertain...) of the lot for its summer internship programme next year. "Kya fark padta hai?" - was Rangeela's straightforward reply as he joined me on my way to STEP for the all-important presentation to be made by senior corporate executives to give us a first-hand view of what is expected of student interns in general, and IITians in particular, in order to make it to one of Forbes' top 50 conglomerates.

The place was teeming with dreamy souls and hyper-tensed "ghissus" all of whom were fancying their chances as the worthy suitor for the Princess of Wonderland's hand. Some looked like they had no idea they hadn't come to watch a football match while others looked set for their first real test of character. We climbed up the flight of stairs leading to the seminar hall even as the harried "placement" team of 4th-yearites (I wonder if all of them will be placed eventually) checked our identity just in case someone from COER had ideas of infiltrating into the session and somehow influencing the company to recruit from their campus instead of ours. A few enthusiasts were turned back from the door because they had forgotten to bring along their I-cards, but their determination never wavered and they decided to witness the drama from the backstage (yes, the whole thing later assumed a melodramatic form!).

Finally, after much waiting and debate over whether one of the representatives was a little out of the league of "normal" human beings, the guy who supposedly was an alumni of this totally awesome institution started conversing in a very business-like manner - the first sign that he was here only to talk shop and that these people weren't so credulous to impress upon. We went through presentations and audio-visuals that were 'refined' to suit the standards of the IITR junta, but failed to make an impact anyway. The questions that followed never seemed to cease - there was one which was met with much disdain from the corporate fraternity present; the poor inquisitor (an ambitious 4th yearite) might have to part with much more than his identification when the authorities come to know about the incident.

The final selections have been done - only 2 from the insti were fortunate enough to secure a place after staying up all night to prove their merit by exhibition of composure when all you care about is a soft bed and nobody to interrupt your snores. I first felt sad not to have been lucky enough to figure among the few names at the top of the list. But maybe, there is something waiting for me - something better than anything I've ever expected to achieve. Perhaps, by missing out on such opportunities, I am only inching closer towards that ultimate nirvana.

PS:

As I was pondering on where my destiny would take me, I suddenly stumbled upon this wonderful quote:

"I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."

It seems The Almighty really is keeping me motivated; He sure has plans.....

Hovering Down the Winding Road....Waiting to Touch Ground !

It's that time of the year when utterly important (life-altering) decisions are to be made. All former sophomores are running around asking for precious advice from seniors and exploring future career prospects. And here I am, in this pandemonium of sorts - (wondering if I choose to savour the powers of the Indian bureaucracy, or scribble away documents in my air-conditioned chambers, or work my way up amongst moguls craving for the largest pie in the market) - waiting for the moment when The Almighty whispers into my head and voila ! I suddenly know what I'm destined for.

I know nothing of that kind is ever going to happen and I need to make the call sooner than later. But then there's so much more to be done! For instance, there's footie (I'm sure I'll become a pro within a few months time...one more thing to add to my resume), badminton, the gazette, bakar and chapos, more of my special multifarious theories, projects and then the secondary CGPA issue. Add to that humour and entertainment that are crucial for human survival within today's gloomy environs that engulf a B.Tech 3rd year undergraduate. If there was a way that could take care of our career obligations and at the same time not give up on the aforementioned "essentials" of life, there wouldn't be a happier person in the whole universe (provided that the Martians do not have to fulfill such material responsibilities already).

Professionals in test-taking-strategies (read CL and TIME) are sweating it out to lure potential "managers" with assurances to each who enrolls, of a berth in one of the prestigious IIM's (I still can't empathise why these "brilliant minds" never ended up where we're supposedly being sent to). To begin with, they quote formidable statistics that might make the listener dizzy with ambition, which crashes to below sea level when the final number is revealed - "You see; we expected atleast 40 to make it out of a batch of 45, but unfortunately, owing to discrepancies in the sub-standard question paper, only 14 could - between two batches, of whom 10 were our classroom students and the others bestowed upon us the privilege of mentioning their names wherever we'd like to". For the past few days, I've been receiving calls from one such CAT-specialist telling me all about the lecture schedule; the poor guy would be elated to know I'm publicising his institution in this very post without actually intending to become a part of it.

The "dreamers" are doing everything to ascertain nothing gets in the way of them reaching their final destination. While some aren't so conspicuous about their clandestine trips outside the campus gate every evening, others are bubbling with enthusiasm over having started early enough to commence the race from pole position. Its an altogether different world - obviously dissimilar from a few months back - scrawling notes all day long, no dawdling, no respite from voices reciting principles and theorems, devoid of sleep and lacking peace.

I've not started dreaming yet. It's only dusk; night is hours away. Let chasers pursue the snitch even before Quidditch begins; a good seeker will win it eventually in due time. Meanwhile I'll just enjoy reading as the mystery unfolds for "A Prisoner of Birth" and watch my favorite sitcoms before I retire to bed. Dawn will bring me inspiration and divine guidance to embark on my endeavours. I cannot let the strands of complacency bind me, but then, they never can.

"FOOTBALL NIGHT"

As I enjoy the suddenly quiet and peaceful environment - seldom the air of the hostel (unless it's the end sems), I still feel amused at the reason behind this descent of calm. Though I feel like my eyes are becoming heavier every passing moment at this hour of night, I just can't keep myself from the exuberance that overcomes me and compells me to continue tapping the keyboard until I reach the end of this post before retiring to bed.

The score stands 9-7, two goals short (once again my team loses but the sport wins......blah blah blah !). A good start, but failing towards the end on account of missed chances, tiresomeness and wayward kicks in the air (I finally realised what Brownian motion actually looked like). But altogether, a fun game with friends added to the lengthening list of "Bizzare doings at IITR".
The 'crazy' part being this game was played in the hostel lawns for about an hour and a half starting just after midnight (12:30 am to be precise).

Nobody really took in my words when we started calling out people to take part in this historic game of football. (This idea, by the way, was conceived while enjoying our seldom delicious dinner at the mess.) Some were busy marauding the maps of "Counter strike" on their entertainment boxes, others were chatting incessantly about issues ranging from the Canteen food to the latest regulations regarding discipline inside the campus. A few of the latter were bewildered at the proposition and chose to remain confined to the 'bakar room', while other soccer enthusiasts happily agreed as if they were waiting for somebody to pull them out of the raging debate on senior-junior relations.

Finally, it began. Nobody regretted having come to the party and, I suppose, never will. There were bloopers, skill and confusion of all kinds. I must say this had the ingredients of an international match (minus the skill). Goals were struck by those least expected to move a bone and the 'Beckhams' of Cautley Bhawan didn't live up to their promise. Somebody shouted "That's it ! No more !" and it's over. After we've had a good time, we all depart for the comfort in our rooms that we haven't ever really appreciated.

I can hear the table clock ticking as it shows 3:30 am. This eerie silence following the match is inducing drowsiness I can no longer resist. Every living soul has gone to bed and I must follow suit. Not often does one get sound sleep at IITR and this is one such opportunity I must take advantage to the fullest. There's more to be done tomorrow, cause now is only half-time.

PS : I wonder how we maintain this newly cultivated habit once classes start in full flow...........

Musings of a Half-Engineer....

Another year has gone by. Summer vacations have come to a long awaited end; this time it was more purpose than leisure (securing an internship in these times of recession has been a daunting task indeed).....and yet again I am baffled by how fast we've moved on. It seems only a few months back that we stepped into RJB as "facchas", with the sole aspiration of making it to the top rung amongst the pool of "like-headed" souls. It was much different back then - the innocence (people would rather call it dumbness), sincerity and a steadfast resolve to perform to the best of our ability; now all has been reduced to mere blankness and uncertainty.

I still recall a vivid picture of the day I stepped into the insti - waiting expectantly to meet my roommate, thinking of how I'd deal with a clumsy, spoilt brat if need be (fortunately Abhas was way mature). It was amazing to ponder upon how the 4-year long stay at IITR would fare. With the varying "degrees of freedom" we have been subjected to in our endeavour to pursue the ultimate goal - graduating as engineers (how many actually care to?), one can't still be so sure as to what comes next. The scales keep tilting and might scare the mickey out of you just when all seems perfect, but things also happen the other way round - when all hope is lost, one might be awed at getting something way better than expected in the first place.

There has become a phenomenal change in the mannerisms of each individual compared to the day one first entered the realms of IITR Main Building. I remember the first morning when everybody was up early enough to reach the lecture hall 10 minutes before the professor set foot into the classroom. Now, bunking and proxying are the first thoughts of the day. There are "zombies" who, deprived of slumber due to nocturnal ventures, attend lectures only because they find the teacher's voice quite hypnotic or because the furniture feels cozier than the wooden structures in their gloomy rooms (which are often camouflaged by an assortment of what-nots and so difficult to be visible to the human eye beneath all the rubble).

Gathering the two-year experience so far, it seems there is one thing that keeps us motivated in our quest for the precious piece of parchment only the tenacious are destined to achieve. Recreation through increasingly ingenious propositions and hilarious pranks takes our mind off from insignificant worldly pursuits and instills a new energy to start all over again. And the fact that we won't get such fun opportunities after passing out compells us to enjoy as much as we can. That is the jargon. To put the same in simpler words, "it's only play and little work that makes Jack an 8-pointer", and not many would dare to sacrifice their identity for entering into the distinct class of bespectacled, dreamy, dreaded 9-pointers.

Now that we enter into the third year, I can only assume times are going to be even more taxing and much less fun than the blast we had all during first year - chapos(free treats) at the canteen almost everyday, pranks which had the victim's heart in his mouth, funny professors and the exceedingly hilarious Meta skit. But we thrive on hope, that still better and merrier times await us in the near (and distant) future. Whatever we do, wherever we drift away after the convocation ceremony (after passing out, obviously), I am pretty certain we'll cherish forever awesome memories of these four precious years at IITR for our entire lifetime.