Pen Is Mightier Than Sword! Or is it?

Well, I have been on a non-intentional hiatus from writing for quite some time, for the fact that I have been in the afterglow of the corporate life, where you sleep, eat, party, go shopping and then sleep again....and to be honest it feels great! J

 

I have been pondering on this very thought for quite some time, recently a colleague of mine happened to ask me “if I could lend him a pen”, and I with utmost pride said “who carries a pen these days!”  Well, as it turns out I was right- who carries a pen these days? People have so evolved with the technology that one can literally make a note of anything in his mobile phone, and save it forever. People tend to carry everything with them which is remotely of use, but are indolent to carry a mere pen!

Long gone are the days when one picked up a pen and wrote something for a real purpose, I sometimes wonder how could one evolve so much? We (as most of us are) as graduates hardly consider writing something during their graduation except during the exams, when we script something sensational, something out of the box!

Where are those days when people wrote letters, when pen was considered the most influential weapon that could liberate any human’s wildest feelings when the nib of it touched the very layer of a paper? Long gone or those days when people considered a pen to be mightier than a sword, that it could silence the mighty mouths of people with utmost poignancy. I don’t quite remember when was the last time I held a pen, except fondling my hair with it, let alone writing something with it.

It sometimes is so hard to believe that we have out grown ourselves in myriad ways, the first thing we learn to do after we are born is to write, and we learn this even before we learn to realize the fact that we pooped in the same diaper twice! And, look at us now, the former is completely forgotten!

Imagine a world without pens, people would probably scribble everything in the air and just pretend that they have made a note of it. No more signatures, they might as well carry a digital sign in their mobile phones! Exams would be taken orally, and yeah “doctors you no longer have to be ashamed of your handwriting and you no longer have to be terrified of the mocking that would follow after a patient reads your ‘you-can’t-understand’ prescription.” 

I so miss those days when my dad wrote letters to me when he was transferred somewhere else. Going through those letters makes me realize that our generation has been missing something very beautiful. Now, we have emails, texting, facebook, and what not thanks to the technology again. Everything that has to be noted these days is noted in the most technological way possible, and corporate life hampers usage of pen and paper in the most decisive manner, thanks to mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.

Pen these days is held to scribble crap, scribble our signature over hundred times all over a book, and if it happens to be held for writing something- then what has been written is not worth the pen. 

I so believe that the day is not so far when people would probably kill each other with pens! In that context, ironically, pen is mightier than sword!

P.S: The current article is scripted on a laptop; despite there was no serious intention in doing so!

The Show Must Go On!

He woke up to daily dose of his father’s anger.  He knew there was no way he could get off the bed, before his father lost his cool every day.  Angry, and frustrated by his father for depriving him of the “15 minutes” before he could complete 12 hours of sleep, he slowly and reluctantly mustered the courage to let the blankets go off his body.

Alok always knew neither he could never live up to his father’s high expectations as far as his academics were concerned nor could he ever accomplish what his father has accomplished against all odds. Alok never really had the courage to look up to his father and ask for what he wanted; his mom came to his rescue all the time!

“Don’t you have any studying to do apart from watching movies all the time?” asked Alok’s father.

“I was about to start studying”, replied Alok with a tone of guilt.

“Well, you don’t always have to study the college books, that will fetch you nothing but a degree. Read literature, fiction, drama, the ones that have always made people come alive and have literally drenched people in insurmountable pleasure.”

“Books are the most loyal friends a person can ever have, read books that make you feel your life is worth living not which makes you worthy of a degree”, having said that he left the door slamming the door shut behind him.

Alok never really bothered what his father has told him that day. But, he soon realized that he had made a mistake.

It was Alok’s birthday, and, he looked forward to the prospect of taking pride in everything he did from now on- as he was a teenager now!

But, today he woke up to something different. He saw what-he-thought was a gift from his brother wrapped in colorful sheet of paper. To his dismay it was from his father, he ripped the gift of its cover and found a fiction novel by John Grisham. He with a frowning face started reading it, and, he was hooked to it for a strong 4 hours. He couldn’t let go off the book without reading it one go.

“That was a great read dad”, said Alok.

“I know, feel the difference now?” that is what a real book does. It sucks you in to it and shows a world so surreal, which in every way seems realistic.

“Yeah, suggest me some books from your Book-Shelf and I will read them”. Alok’s father was beaming beatifically now, which was uncanny.

“Sure, I will and on every birthday of yours, I will gift you one book from my favourites of all time”

No sooner did Alok realised that books were his best company; one learns to be alone when he is with books. His father has always told him that, feeling lonely? Grab a book.

Exchanging the knowledge about the new novels Alok read and his father read was the only talk Alok had with his father in a father-son manner, rest were between an angry father and a frustrated teenager.

Every Birthday from then on, Alok woke up to a new book by his side and he looked forward reading it with utmost enthusiasm for it was his father’s all time favorites!

His father has always told him, “no matter what, no matter how grave the times may be, never stop reading books; they offer you a lot of new things and change your life in many ways, do remember I have managed to keep away from the gloomy days of my life by clinging on to a book. The show must go on regardless of what one is going through, because the audience applaud at the end of the show, not in the middle of it.

The prospect of earning on his own and gifting his father a book, always lighted him. A glow of pride passed on from one end of his face to another. And, then decided he would buy book with the pocket money he has been stashing under the bed for almost a year now and gift it to his father on his birthday.

“Get up Alok, shouted his mother, it is your birthday today!”

“He woke up and felt void, the time froze and everything around him seemed motionless, there was nothing on the bed, no book wrapped in colorful wrapped sheet, he felt sick to his stomach.”

He went to his drawing table a pulled out a sheet of folded paper and put it in his pocket; he freshened up and put on the new clothes he bought the other day along with his friends. He went to the nearby book store and went straight to the lectern that read “fiction”, and pulled the sheet of paper from his pocket. He started crossing the sheet of paper several times and then stopped and looked for a book in on the shelf.

“I will take this one” he said to the shop keeper, paid him and left the shop.

“Hey dad, sorry I am late, I woke up a little late today, was up all night reading The Godfather.” Well, guess what I have been planning to gift you a book on my birthday today, here you go, he pulled out the book colorfully wrapped in a sheet of paper and placed it on the ground beside his father’s grave.

Alok’s father died of a cardiac arrest a month before his birthday 3 years ago. Alok never really was bereaved; he knew there was no need for anyone to take care of him, for he had “books” with him. Tears never really stirred emotions in him nor did the loneliness.

Alok always has learnt that, "One has to be attuned to everything that life throws in one's way." 

Alok slowly tore up the layers of wrapping around the book, sat on the ground, and started reading. A drop of tear rolled down his cheek but, he felt nothing because deep down inside he knew, no matter what, no matter how grave the situation may be, “The Show Has to Go On”.

Adios!

Transition- From College Benches to Corporate Cubicles!

It has been a little over a month that I am in to the corporate world and I couldn’t be any happier. Moreover working for the largest game publishing company- Electronic Arts is what that serves as the icing on the cake!

  

Well, life at Electronic Arts is something that one would want to savor at least once in a lifetime. Walking down the corridors with game posters all over the walls, working on games all day, discussing the games in the plush air-conditioned conference rooms with the managers, getting yourself photographed right in front of the legendary Battlefield poster (with the protagonist with the rifle and the left upper body up in flames and he, marching down with the pride oozing) and more importantly getting paid for all the above!

The word ‘Manager’ has a scary and mean ring to it in the corporate worlds’ glossary. And, I have heard people talking about their manager ripping their ass all the time. But, my Manager and the Team Leads are the coolest people I’ve ever met, mingling with the rest of the team and leading it (team) with sheer aplomb is what that makes them just one of us despite their seniority. With colleagues and the managers responding to our plethora of small yet preposterous queries at all times makes my work place even better.

 Walking down the corridors with a hot Cappuccino filled cup in hand and chatting up with colleagues, checking out pretty chicks in the cafeteria, planning what movies to watch the coming Friday and Saturday and Sunday! (Semi-Colon Parenthesis) – I told myself Welcome to the Corporate Arena.

I have heard people talk about their first salary and boasting about it, well I have got mine now and I couldn’t be any happier. The moment the mail pops up “Your Salary has been Credited” one starts beaming beatifically and, I have been beaming ever since I got mine! It is hard earned after all. :P

I have seen people having many myths about the way life twirls in a corporate world but, the way I see it, the myths seem to be busting. “You’ll be glued to the computer all the time, and you’ll be drained all out by the end of the day”, is what one of my not-so-happy friends advised me. People in India have the propensity to adhere to the myths laid down by their predecessors, and also take them to their grave- while doing so they realize that they have been in the wrong place the whole time; by the time they come to their senses their life seems to be taking an abysmal leap!

The moment you savor what you doing regardless of the outcome is the moment you start loving your job, not when you keep dreading about the consequences.

It has been only a month and I have made many a conclusions, and I believe I have drawn many of them accurately. Looking forward to the delightful future at EA!!


Adios!

Corporate Junior Colleges- Basking In “Students Glory”!!

Originally written for "Metropolis" A youth magazine for Hyderabad.

Have a look at the site, go click it!

Education in India has taken a leap so big that it has left the significance of the term behind, while taking the commercial glory forward. Numerous junior colleges are being deployed in every part of the country making the “vital” stage of education a mere parody. With the Ivy-League colleges like the IIT’s, NIT’s and other top private colleges setting the standard high students, not colleges, are the ones who face the music. Every year 2-3 lakh students get in pursuit to clinch that one “coveted” seat at the top colleges, and, the stakes are too high, the pressure insurmountable, and expectations weakening the shoulders, the students compete for just a few thousand seats.

While the Top colleges are busy in setting the bar high, the corporate junior colleges are grinding the students to perfection so that, their getting past the bar will lure more students to join the college in the next academic year. The vendetta between the different junior colleges is no less than a war! No college leaves no stone unturned as they rigorously train students to the extent where the student tends to remember the question number along with the page number along with the solution of course. 

The junior colleges tend to forget that they are training humans not machines, the students servility is very much appreciated as they make themselves vulnerable in order to clinch that one seat. The vulnerability is something that comes from within, with the peer pressure, the parental pressure and not to mention the college managements’ pressure.

The corporate colleges from the very beginning of the first year of the two year course start lashing out at students- giving them numerous amount of material that one could not possibly imagine of, examining them every week twice or thrice and in order to this, exhibit the results that builds more pressure on students as there are students who are ahead of them. I completely agree to the fact of displaying results, but the scenario and consequences that are staged later is what that concerns me. 

Students tend to believe that they are way far behind in this cat and mouse race and face the brunt. Every parent wants their kids to get into IIT’s and the NIT’s and also other private colleges, but the fact is there is no place for all of them; it is not circus to get in to those colleges. What’s perplexing and astonishing is all want to get in to the top colleges, if that’s the case, who are to join the colleges that are ranked after?

Corporate colleges are the demigods of intermediate education. They rule this phase of education and tend to do the same for the coming years. Now, the scenario depicted outside is way different from the one that is staged inside, students are the pawns that are staged in a fight with the kings (Top colleges in this game), where in the recent times “death” comes into play, Why? Assumed by many people that’s the most viable option when one’s game ends in a “stalemate”

The corporate colleges slap huge amount of fee on students as they know the students have nowhere to go, the levied fee sometimes amounts to more than 1-2 lacs for all they know that getting into the ivy-league colleges is not certain yet. The education is not worth the money people pay, no proper facilities are provided, and students are grinded to hell. The curriculum includes studies and studies only right from the morning 8 a.m to 8 in the evening. With no proper food and physical exercise the students suffer lack of concentration at all times. 

The tryst with exams, books, study and exams goes on for two miserable years, at the end of which only few bask in glory. Corporate colleges have been beguiling people for years now, they join 500-600 students and how many get in to the top colleges is a hand few, who are failing when it comes to going through the course at the IIT’s and NIT’s. 

The education here in the corporate colleges is spoon fed to students and they tend to mug up all the formulae and numerical because they have doing the same models for the past 2 years day and night incessantly. Now, when they face the D-day all the numerical seem similar to the ones they have been mugging up (which they think they have solved) for 2 years. The etchings deepen once they get into the top graduation colleges, where they are left to design their own future let alone education and notes.

The corporate junior colleges luring mechanisms are no less than a commercials ad and a captivating one at that. With a filthy yet catchy catch phrases imbibed in a video depicting the various statistics of the results ranging from the ranks to marks and segregating different sections as Top 10, Top 50, Top 100 and relentlessly displaying the commercial again and again, thanks to the media channels as they run and show everything for money despite its worth being abysmal. The scholarships to the backward economy classes are promised by the junior colleges, but just like our politicians their promises are void. The economically backward sections of the society face the music and are being forced to follow suit with the middle class and high class when it comes to paying the exorbitant fees. At the end of the day as we speak lacs of students end up perturbed, vulnerable, and emotionally weak.

The money is literally squandered under the pretext of education in India, with Engineering and Medicine being the buzz words all over and the prospect of their child being an Engineer and a Doctor makes their parents even more vulnerable and helpless. With the corporate colleges basking in students’ success year after year, there is no blaming the anxious parents who want their lads to bask in glory. 

But, with a student perspective, if seen, this entire rigmarole seems an immense and intense task where nothing is certain yet.

Adios!

A Thin Line between Vernacular and English!

“Hey Mom, I’ll be late home; don’t wait for me have your supper!” , Yelled the 8 year old kid next door. I was quite perplexed the way English has been catching up with kids these days, and, why would not it be? For the so-called “mothers” are rubbing English all over the kids tongue or rather say all over the vernacular.

I have seen ladies yelling at their kids in angrezi; “Hey you, go clean up dinner is ready! And, what does the kid do? Make faces right back at her mother and get back to stacking up bricks with fellow kids in the play ground. What do you expect a 4 year old kid to do otherwise!

Vernaculars have recently lost their identity and beauty, for the lone fact that English seems to be hauling around everyone’s tongue. And, the reason seems to be preposterous- “English is important no? Isiliye we speak ‘Englis’ all the time!” Vernaculars have become a cliche, not to mention parody. People tend to commit mistakes while they speak their own jargon and are inclined to scale great heights by speaking English under the pretext of its “importance”; and ask me, do they succeed in speaking good English. Hell, no! It takes a great deal of valor to decipher what they actually spoke! And, imagine if we grown-ups aren’t able to interpret easily, how come those little toddlers will? 

                                                

English seems to taken its toll on people in India, everyone wants a piece of it. It is important in day-to-day life, agreed. But, toddlers and kids who have just realized that the diaper in which they pooped was the one in which they took a leak an hour ago don’t need a piece of it!

People have a filthy habit of speaking English with the vernacular slang, and, worse they do that in public. It is like eating where you poop or vice-versa. How about speaking vernacular instead of “Dilapidated English”? The fear of being a social outcast, and, your self esteem, not to mention false prestige has taken a toll on vernaculars in India and on your kids too. Kids at the end of the day tend to digest what has been fed to them right from the childhood rather than what suits their appetite now. 

                          

With the evolution of Social-Networking sites and their famous lingo, people have butchered English in every way possible! Now, as we speak kids have neither been exposed, nurtured with the vernacular nor are they capable enough to stand their ground with the so-called “Important English”. Either way they are to hamper their image.

So much for the “false prestige”, I’ve seen mothers cajoling their kids in English while kids look startled and perplexed. Mothers take them to functions and end up perpetrating their own social assassination. That’s right, they speak to kids in what they feel is sophisticated and end up making fool of themselves and hampering their own social image as kids cannot comprehend what crap just transpired!

Speaking vernacular and own jargon is sophisticated ladies, what? You want your kids to be Shakespeare? Forget it then! The world has already hampered and proselytized his English way too much, you need not follow suit. Why not draw a thin line between vernacular and English so, both get to keep their identity.

That day does not seem far away when “English pills” are available in the market, daily dose of which will have Shakespeares’ erupting right out the birth canals all over the world. English everywhere and which soon will be a “Congenital Malady”!!

Shakespeare would roll in his grave if he knew what’s happening out here! And, if he were to come alive, “He would die all over again”!!

Adios!

The Honking Saga of Pesky Motorists! :P

Honk, Honk! Move you idiot, I am late for my office! I am quite perplexed by the way people honk in India. Is it due to the urgency (which can be disregarded) or is it congenital malady. People honk as if they are the ones who alone in the best interests of the country ‘politicians’ have paid taxes, everyone here is paying taxes so the politicians can fill in their bank accounts but, that is altogether a different issue! Let us not get into discussing a "helpless cause"!

I have seen idiots honking while in traffic jams, do they wish ‘Superman’ to come and pick them up? How on earth could one possibly make his way through near a traffic signal (where in sane people’s dictionary Red indicates stop) by honking? Some to please their little babies sound the horn, don’t they know the horn is perturbing outside; let me tell you that is not poignant if you think it is!

Many people have the fetish for horns; the road appears to be a Disneyland for such idiots. The moment the start the vehicle horn is the first thing they go for then what are gears provided for? Shoving them somewhere? The road appears to be ant-less for about 150-200 meters and people come honking creating cacophony all around! What for? Now, if you feel you might run over a cockroach passing by; then let me tell you running over a cockroach will not fetch you a fine but, honking relentlessly will.

The 4 wheel motorists tend to have a different mentality all together. Once they own a car they tend to develop a superiority complex.“You drive around as you like and honk around as you like”, is the tag-line that they inherit from the showroom while they purchase a car.

People’s tryst with horns doesn’t quite end here. 

Some honk for the lone fact of showing they are being careful but, in fact end up being pretentious douche bags! 

People in India tend to lack some basic common sense in many aspects, and this being the prime one. You aren’t the only one who is in a hurry, and even though it is hurry is it that important to break the peaceful environment around you. Neither honking will not get you across the road, nor does shouting expletives by lowering the window of you so-called luxury car. Everyone wants to get ahead of the traffic and people have figured it out that honking is the only way of doing that. No, it isn’t you idiots this is not a Formula1 race for heavens sake!

Some honk only because the person ahead of him is honking. If he can, then I can; that is one hell of an attitude and is preposterous. Honking is not a serenade that you motorists feel it is. And, not to mention motorcyclists have the propensity at all times to be gregarious and in being so they climb up the footpath which is if I am not wrong for pedestrians! 

One cantankerous moron feels that he had enough with the traffic and starts honking unremittingly and "Kyun ki it is India" others follow suit. Only for the lone fact, they don’t want to be left out and end up being a social outcast! And, God help us if it is congenital! _/\_

There seems to be no alleviation from this idiocy. I wish in future automobiles are manufactured with no horn in them, and if they do intend to sneak in one; sounding it incessantly should fetch them personal vendetta rather than a mere fine! :P

Adios!

Children- The Bundles of Sheer Joy!

It’s been quite some time that I have written something for my blog. And, it feels great to be writing something again. And, let me tell you I have been spending some quality time with children these days. No, no I have not taken up “Kindergarten Teacher” as my profession! 

Period..

Believe me there isn’t any company better than a bunch of kids, not to mention one’s more than enough!

Look at those eyes, they have a hell lot of a story to tell which is much more captivating than a best-selling novel! Just listening to them talk in a weird way makes us laugh from ear-to-ear, the weird games they play, they songs they hum, they dance they do, might seem preposterous but, take a closer look at it they have the best story you have ever read. 

Take a walk in their shoes and you would have the propensity to be a kid again! Some are naughty, some are sweet, some are introverts while some like themselves to be heard, and nevertheless they all bring joy. They have the tendency to soothe you in all ways possible, sit with them and listen to the quests they have conquered that day.

They have a surreal, beautiful and awesome world of their own. Far away from the exams, teachers, and records and not to mention the board room meetings! While all of us are busy getting through to office and the corporate life’s hassles, they are busy weaving thoughts about the snack they are about to have in the evening.

Well, as far the toddlers are concerned they are real beauties! Their giggle makes our heart skip a beat, their touch makes us feel the warmth and hole them it is like holding 3-4 pounds of joy!

I have been having quite some time with these little monsters, and believe me I have been loathing Darwin for his “Theory of Evolution”, I would rather be a child all my life instead of being some youngster who lives his life struggling to make sure what he actually is in need of.

 And, by the time you realize what is that you are after it is too late! Kids don’t have this in their curriculum all they have to do is get the homework done by their mother, eat, play and then go wet your bed! :P

My mom always reminds me of the day I was born, when my Dad said “there you go you’ve just added 3-4Kgs of joy to your life!” :D

Pictures Courtesy: Sunaina Patnaik
 
Take a look at her blog it is A.W.E.S.O.M.E! http://sunaina-patnaik.blogspot.in/

The Bucket List! :D

Art is long, life’s short!  Is how the adage goes. Not everyone lives the dream of scaling The Mt. Everest, winning a Olympic gold medal, emerge as an Grand slam champion, or The world’s most sought football player. 

But, with the little time that we have got and a plethora of things we need to do before we kiss death ,we intend to do many a thing in life- sane, insane, creepy, intellectual, adventurous, and funny and things which fall under many such categories, but we all have some fantasies that we wish could come true before we become ‘history’, the things that can bring us utmost joy-the pinnacle of it! Here’s a list of things I would love to do before "I kick the goddam bucket"! 

 

1.       Punch Justin Beiber and Himesh Reshammiya right in the face so hard that my punch should haunt them for years! (Seems surreal, will find a way though!) No wonder, It tops the list! :P

2.      Watch EMINEM, LINKIN PARK , LIL WAYNE perform live at Madison Square Garden or any other venue.

3.      Skydiving is not my cup of tea, but it would be fun floating in the air, and plummeting from 15000 feet.

4.      Watch Roger Federer play in Centre Court at WIMBLEDON. (It would be worth dying after watching a legend flaunt his genius) and also The FIFA  World Cup finale.

5.      Write at least 500 articles on my blog, this shouldn’t be tough though! 493 more like this and I’ll accomplish this mission. :P

6.      Read at least 1000 books comprising of all genres.

7.      I wonder if I would own them, but driving an around AUDI R8, and a Mercedes AMG for quite some time is itself a pleasure.

8.     Spend an evening with the loved one in Paris, scale the Eiffel Tower- visualize the staggering beauty from top and a have quite romantic candle lit dinner at Queens in London.

9.      What’s life if you haven’t watched the landscape beauty of Italy and Switzerland?

10.  If it was not for Barney Stinson I would have never included this in the list- Go to a strip club and get a lap dance! :P

11.    Wander around in the streets of Spain, and watch a bull fight!

12.  Meet Mario Puzo (If he’s alive) - If it wasn’t for Godfather my endeavor of becoming a bookworm would have been incomplete. :D

13.  Learn Italian and Spanish.

14.  Visit all the places (The one’s which are worth visiting) in India- starting from the Nadir to the pinnacle. 

15.   Go deep sea diving, unless I’m assured of the fact that it’s a NO-SHARK ZONE!

16.   Pen a novel, especially fiction.

17.   Go on a road trip to Las Vegas with friends around, and getting lost in the night life and the casinos. 

18.  Work as a crime reporter and unravel the dark secrets of the Mafia in Sicily, and to break in the most mysterious news ever. (If there is one) 

19.  Watch all the movies in my laptop, which have been uttering expletives since 3-4 years now.

 20.  Figure out “Why on earth did I chose B-Tech after twelfth?” :P It’s the most intriguing riddle I’ve come across in my life, it been haunting my dreams lately.

These 20 things doesn’t quite define life, it only the momentary satisfaction one gets. There are many more things that I would love to- do- or- to- do so that I can be loved, but they were better off the list.

Above all “Sporting a smile till the very last breath and having friends whom you love at your deathbed” is what makes one’s life worth of kicking the bucket!

Adios!