The week that was..(infy experience)

This is just my first week experience at Infosys training centre Mysore. There is no criticism or  comparison. Simple incidents that followed during the week.

I ran my hand into the cover frantically. Bull!Where is my offer letter? My mother frowned at my carelessness and the security guard showed signs of restlessness. 

Day 1, 7 p.m. at Infosys gate

 

Shivers ran down my spine- fear or anticipation or just the weather, I couldn't find out.Ah!my offer letter,photo proof were identified and only I was allowed through the gate due to security measures. My sister was disappointed. I dragged the suitcase by the wheel.The sound echoed through the whole campus. “Okies!”, I looked at the suitcase “this is not working”. I ended up carrying it to the vehicle. I took a glance before I got into the vehicle and fell in love with the place in an instant. Inside the cab, I realized I was the only one in salwar and only one from south. In two minutes, we landed in front of the reception (which gave a 3 star effect) where I had to open all my bags for inspection and get keys to the room. I,being number crazy, looked at the building and room number first .”Good sign”. All our bags were again loaded into another vehicle and we were driven to our blocks.My room was in the ground floor.

Knock ! knock!.No reply. Knock knock!No reply.Little irritated and was about to knock again when I noticed the switch for bell.Argh!

As soon as the door opened, I gave the blank look that I was famous for. So did the person in the room. My roommate!!I have never stayed outside (excluding camps,friends place et al) and she was my first ever roomie. I said a hi,shook hands, placed my luggage and left the room in two minutes (probably shocked her).

I called up one of my best friends who has been there for several months.

"Come to FC 1",he said.

Here I am-a poor soul who has no sense of direction and he expects me to come to some place that sounded like a Morse code.

"What is that? More important, Where is that?"

He handed over the phone to his friend which proved to be of no effect too. So, I walked to the place asking directions in every ten steps. 

Oh!!FC 1 meant food court one!!

The place was amazing and even more delighting was the menu. I have never seen so much variety in my life. While eating, besti tried to explain every building which I tried even harder to grasp.

After looking at my monotonous nod,he decided to show the place rather.

We first went to the GEC (global education centre) which beat White house hands down (not that I have seen the white house but you do get the point ,right?)

I gaped at the ceiling design. "id cardu............................%$^&&*%%&*&%?" (the words are censored because I didnt understand a word of what the security said.It was their native language). I realized I didnt have a ID card and tried in my best of tamil + hindi + english words to explain that I had checked in only then.The security was courteous enough to let me in.

I was gaping even at the classrooms and also made mental note of the last row hoping I would land there someday.I was introduced to some students who were very busy studying.It kind of scared me.

View of my building

We left to the respective rooms(again I did my ten step asking thing) and I got to know more of my roomie and also the room. My roomie was (and is ) very sweet and patient enough to put up with me.The room had excellent facilities which promised to make me more lazy.I partially unpacked and hit bed.

Day 2

After experimenting things at the bathroom(which was equally big like the room), I ran to meet my college mates  the very next day.We went in search of something called the "Mutliplex". It took me fifteen minutes to realise what I was seeing-a theatre!! I think I had the most innovative and craziest opinion about the place.I found it delicious!!After submitting some documents and collecting coloured tags(some tried exchanging tag colours but when "ethical issues " were discussed,everyone returned them).The interiors reminded me of my favourite theatre here and I did a twenty minutes scanning of the crowd. It was colourful and diversified.If you consider yourself young and in the right mind,you would know what I mean. The induction programme was exciting because every time volunteers were called for,some twenty hands shot up. I ,typical observer (or thats what I call myself), just enjoyed listening and watching the whole thing. 

It was during the lunch time that I discovered what harm an ID card could do. The card had tasted the sambar and rasam.Some formal checking and filling forms were done and we left for the day.

At dinner time, my besti suggested cycling back to the rooms. It was only after that did I realise the number of muscles I had in my legs.The whole place has slopes and cycling along these proved the most difficult part.My heart beat faster and I grasped for air every now and then (thanks to six months of sitting at home and lazing).

The delicious multiplex

Day 3

The longest day of the week where all formalities started only after 6 p.m. We filled forms of bank account,service agreement and so on. By the time it ended,I could sign a paper even in my sleep.The class was half exciting and half boring. I almost slept through the second half of the session.

The most happening thing of the day was the DJ night.I couldnt find company to the dinner and went alone when I heard loud music. The place was flashy and adrenaline pumping(ok, I made it sound like car racing but that is how it was).The ambience was full of energy and people dancing their heads off. Around 150 people crowded in 150 metre space. Here, I found all my classmates and we didnt risk  dancing and spoiling the amphi theatre (that is what it is called though it didnt resemble anything to that of roman architecture). i stayed there for a long time and decided to shake a leg some day.

The DJ night

Day 4

The induction this day was awesome. Handled by two ladies, I enjoyed every bit of it. A large number of role plays and total entertainment.

In the evening we went to Laundromat (or simply Laundry) and waited for whole one and half hours for the clothes to get washed.

After this, we went roaming about the place and were still excited about everything.

The campus had every sport you could think of- basket ball,hockey, cricket,football, race track,volley ball, tennis, badminton, table tennis. You name it ,they have it.

Basket Ball

The Origami building with the race track

Day 5

We wrote some English test and the classes got over in few hours. I tried my hand at TT (was decent I guess). The whole of my college gang went to FC5 which was another architectural amazement and food was excellent too.

Food court 5

We had the weekend off and I returned home.

The things that I noticed during the week:

1) Being in the campus tames you. They dont compel rules on you but you tend to listen because of the peer group.

2) In the evening or free hours,you are allowed to try out any weird combination of dressing.Nobody bothers, nobody cares.

3) There are too many opportunities but no time.

4) The nights are the busiest time of the day (esp at GEC)

5) You eat a lot yet manage to lose weight ;)

6) The facilities make you even lazier than what you were at home

All in all, Mysore campus is one brilliant place with lot to learn and enjoy.

P.S.; My friends challenged me-if I say the same after two months of stay;there could be two possibilities. Either I got admissions for higher studies and have planned to leave in between the training or I am simply insane.

Brick Bats

I am in love with the smileys :)  They are adorable  and convey a lot if you analyse them closely.When someone sends across a smiley,you always imagine the "expression" the person gives.It is like "a picture conveys thousand words". It is also an indication for ending a conversation.A couple of straight smileys means that the other person is bugged or bored and it ends right there. Adding to all that facts, smileys are even cuter than the real facial expressions :D!! *grin grin*

The reason I use lot of smileys . It is simple. I exploited , I used them in every text message and most of my mails,chats and blogs.

All was well until I read a mail in which some researchers from some country in some lab decided to make a research on the smileys:(.Are people that jobless? According to them,people who use smileys frequently are considered flirtatious and want attention all the time.

I may not know who I am  but at least to some extent, whom I am not (confusing? that is the whole point).I ignored the research as baseless and useless. 

The problem started.It was like this;every time I used a smiley,I had second thoughts.However I tried to ignore,the mailed flashed before my eyes. To add to my woes, my sister also mentioned reading something on the same lines somewhere. That is when I started using lot of *cough cough*,*grin grin* and *ahem ahem* s.

In spite of all this,I simply couldn't stop using smileys but I often wonder if all this is what is called human psychology. Why ponder into things that are unnecessary and followed by large mass. Consider people start researching  about eating habits and claim if a person gulps food in a go ,he is considered intelligent??!!

Sigh!!However hard we try to ignore all the "research based " issues,it lingers in our minds whenever we perform the act.

Curses curses!! :( :( :(

P.S. ; I named the post as "brick bats" because I liked it.Hope some researcher in Iceland hasn't got any problems with it.Hello!!Haven't they got their "entire country devolving" problem to solve??

Missing Musing

"Something was missing", I said, poking the slice of pizza for the hundredth time which could have thrown a couple of swear words provided it had a mouth. "Hmmm..something..."

"Whats the problem with the movie?It was good!!" , said my friend without even glancing at me.

It was late afternoon and my friend,sister and I were just back from watching the latest tamil flick "Vaarnam Aiyaram".The movie portrayed the role of a father in the life of a son-deliberately sentimental and over dosage of romance and after sympathising with each other and by tradition we were at the hotel(Incase you are wondering what the tradition is-it is always hotel after movie).

The actor surya was fabulous(err..i am not praising his looks or his physique).He brought out the difference between different roles-school boy,youth,army guy and old father.The entire credit to him.In spite of all this,I felt something was missing in the movie.Something that was blocked in my head and was stubborn to show up.

"I think there was no chemistry between Sameera and surya",my sister offered.

"Hmmm..No..not that.Something was wrong in the father son relationship and I cant find out what", I replied grabbing the pizza with my hands abandoning the manners of eating it with knife and fork.The knife simply didn't cut the pizza.

"Nah!!You are tasteless!!The relationship seemed perfect.He did the two roles very well", my friend opposed."Maybe...

She stopped when the waiter placed a huge bowl of block forest ice cream on the table. All of us reached out for the ice cream.

"Some parts seemed missing.Guess initially it was a long movie.", sister claimed as she placed the tips for the waiter.

"Maybe,in the movie,dad smoked too much while son didn't?" ,I said suddenly when we were in the bus. Both of them gave such a look that i took to my heels and wandered to buy the ticket from the conductor.

"Will you stop giving that "I-am-thinking" look??Its scary!!", yelled my sister when we got down.

"You dont understand.It is like a jig saw puzzle-everything in place expect a single piece and I have no clue where or how to place it"

"Dialogue!!", yapped my friend and both of them clapped.

Even all that insult didnt stop me from wondering and thinking about it again and again.Both of them didn't understand that my head would split into two if I didnt find it. Was the father role too much??-no.Was the son too good?-no. Was the daughter given no role?-apparently yes but that wasnt the missing part.Something was missing..missing..missing..

"Will you forget it??Please!!",my sister pleaded as we were outside our place.

"Hmmmm..."

Dad opened the door.

"Appa,you are here?We thought you were in the office.",I said, quite shocked.

"Oh!!Where did you girls go?!? !Movie?!?! What time was the show?!?Why are you both so late?? Cant you call if you knew you were going to be late",he yelled at top pf his voice,took a deep breathe "Listen, you still havent gone to the bank!!It closes by 5!!Was the movie so important??Cant you both prioritize things in life??

My sister looked at him with her best "I-am-sorry" expression. I smiled.Now I knew what was missing in the movie.

Understanding inflation the historic way;)

THE PLAN 

The map of Kurukshetra lay open on the table. The only source of light in the room was from the zero watt bulb that was swinging slightly over the five heads that were pondering over the map. 

“This”, Arjuna moved forward “is going to be the venue for the war”. He circled the place with his fingers. 

“Hmmm..That is Harayana. Is the place affordable?” asked Bhima scratching his chin. “The price of land is high”.

 “That is very true, but Nakulan and Sahadev have agreed to part their money for this purpose”. 

“Why only them? Why not all of us?” asked Draupadi with an accusation tone. She was clad in simple salwar kameez .Draupadi was the only wife of the Pandavas or “Kissi Se Kam Nahi Hum Paanch(KKNHP)” as they call themselves which is an adaptation and an idea inspired from the Ekta Kapoor serials. It was not meant to be Polyandry but done out of desperate measures as the Shaadi.com showed Draupadi to be highly paid in an IT industry and each of them could not afford  to waste money on the marriage halls and food individually.

But all the excellent planning backfired as IT industry was not doing good leaving the entire family to worry on the basic necessity. 

“Because they are the only ones in the medical field and it is the only profession that seems to be least affected by the recession”, explained Arjuna. Nakulan and Sahadev nodded in agreement.

 “Is this war really necessary?” asked the wise Yudhistra. 

“Of course!! If we do well, that is slap well, Lait Modi has agreed to take us for the next IPL with Deepika Padukone as our promoter and Cheerleaders from France.” said Bhima. 

“Really??”,asked Yudhistra innocently. 

“Duh no!!I was just kidding. The war is just for dignity purposes and I am very sure that the Kauravas are in same dilemma as us. We are just 5 in number but them?!! Even the 99 couldn’t afford an eye operation for their father. It’s a national crisis.” 

“Let’s quit this Kurukshetra place and call for a war at the beach”, put forth Draupadi. 

“Brilliant idea!!” exclaimed Yudhistra ,It is  almost priceless and we can buy Bhajjis for lunch and dinner.” 

“Lunch and dinner??” Sahadev moved forward to get a better look at Yudhistra, “How long is this war? Not just a day?” 

“Hmmm..true.Lets not have it for 18 days. Let us make it just one day. Ok, finally the place is at the beach and the war is for a day. That is decided then.” 

“Will they agree on all that?” offered Sahadev 

“They would definitely agree with all the terms. The understanding is mutual. I am hungry. What is for lunch now? I smell Biriyani” 

“Biriyani?? Are you out of your mind? Do you have any clue about the prices of vegetables and cereals?! , yelled Draupadi and the Pandavas acted like they were busy looking at the map. 

“These men have no clue about what is happening around…..” Draupadi left the room grumbling to herself. 

“Now for the arms and facilities needed. How many swords do we need? Do we need to recruit any more people or manage the whole thing ourselves?”, asked Arjuna as he jotted down everything that was being discussed. 

“Oh oh..swords of steel?? Highly impossible”,said Yudhihstra. “And don’t worry about their strength. I heard that 50% of them have shifted to UK for work. Another 20% are very desperate to do their higher in some foreign country. 10 % are under fed and cannot fight and another 10% have gone to negotiate the nuke deal. That is only 10% who are left or just 10 people and I think we can very well manage them.” 

“Drat!! Karna is with them”,said Bhima. 

“So what?” 

“Don’t you realize he has the Kavacha Kundala of gold? Just imagine the amount of gold he has!! And considering the gold prices now, it is a bumper prize.”,moaned Bhima. 

“Is it possible to drag him to our side? We can lure him.Tell him that we have quotas for positions in the war and make him chief of army”, offered Nakulan. 

“Chief of army with just 5 of us here?! I don’t think that is necessary. He is a generous guy, so, would have parted away money for everyone’s education. His gold won’t be a great threat to us”. 

“High prices and low income is getting on our nerves. There must be some way to fight this war, otherwise we wont go down in history as the great Pandavas but as the people who fought the inflation.” 

Everyone agreed with Arjuna. 

“Arjuna,I think it is high time you dismissed your chauffeur Krishna.We cant afford to have him anymore.We cant afford the car in the first place. The amount I paid for the petrol and Krishna for last two years is four times the value of the car.” explained Sakadhev. 

“Oh!!I will miss my sarathy . If I sell my car,how do we go to the war? It would be pathetic if  we walked.” 

“No worries.I am planning to get the Nano car.”, assured Nakula.

The occupants of the room smiled at each other.The room was silent again. 

Everyone was startled when Yudishtra suddenly stood from his chair. 

“Hey!!I have an idea.An idea how this war can be fought.And here it is………………’ 

“Great idea Yudhi!!Well done!!Somebody pass on your mobile please.I will tell this to Kauravas.They are bound to agree”,said Arjuna excitedly. 

Each looked away. 

“No balance” said Nakulan.“Validity over” said Sahadev.”I left it in my room” said Yudhistra. 

“Chill Chill!!I have Virgin mobile.You can have mine”.Bhima passed on his mobile and Arjuna explained the plan to Duryodhana. 

 D  DAY 

14,410!! Come on Arjuna!!You can do better than that!! 

“Oh my god!! Karna is on 15,820!!” 

“Arjuna!!the left key.. the left key!!ahhhh…fast fast” 

The war happened.Yes,it happened.Not on real ground but on Orkut online games.

 

The price of the war –internet charges were to be paid by the losing team.

 

Extravagance

Our colony never missed out an occasion.Be it children's day or Independence day (aree..valentine's day bhi..) and Diwali was no exception. There were huge surprises like game stalls,chaat, dinner, crackers and so on.

The game stalls were put up by the members and very innovative. After food,we hit the lawns where the Tambola event took place.(Drat!!I hate these luck based games.But that didn't stop my sister and me buying couple of tickets.).After having a miserable time watching other people get huge amounts right under our noses,we waited for the cracker show which was supposed to be the highlight of the evening.

Whhhhhhhhoooossshhhh..flew rockets in different directions and displayed the finest scenes.Many crackers and rockets were let to burst that I began to realise that the Chinese Olympics' opening ceremony was far  less spectacular than this.At first,it was exciting and couple of guys shouted for every cracker that went up.After half an hour so,they were drained out but continued to watch.

We thought the show was over when they unfurled something that seemed like a thousand wala but was styled as rockets.Only when it was lit did we realise that it was a hundred rockets which were to burst simultaneously one after the other. The cracker went on and on like never ending shallow seas(ok,I exhibit poetic skills to show how irritating it was). After waiting for ages, I realised I couldnt see my neighbour as the whole lawn was covered with smoke.

The nation is in financial crisis but there are people who seemed least affected.The thousand wala thing cost around 3 lakhs (more than my expected annual income :( ) and the result was smoke,pollution and wastage of money for the 30 minutes pleasure of audience. 

It would have better if some under privileged children were allowed to spectate this or the money was used for something else. 

It would have been wise if people knew and cared for the environment.

It would have been worthy if sweets or clothes were distributed among the poor.

It would have been considerate if only games and less crackers were used.

It would have been better if I had voiced my opinion there rather than writing a blog like this :( .

Meow meow

"See,3 lakh applicants for CAT this year".

She turned towards me and gave a lazy look.

"But as the probabilty goes,only 50% would be serious which brings the count down to 1,50,000", I said and looked if she was still interested.There were no signs of irritation and I continued.

"In that,first attempt and beginners who don't know how to go about it are 50%.So,its 75,000 of competitors."

"Mock takers are even less-35,000 in TIME,20,000 in IMS and 10,000 in CL and other institutes.Moreover people doing dual mocks are to be counted.Eventually,around 40,000 are mock takers."

"In that 10,000 would be employed full time or with heavy work load which means they cant cope up and this leaves us with 30,000 people"

"Lets say around 10,000 of them are GRE and GMAT takers.Yes,there are people who do that and place foreign degree as their first priority which now brings the CAT people to 20,000."

"In that 20,000,I could be better than say, 25% of them which now makes my competition as 15,000."

"A 98 percentile which might get me an IIM call or SP jain or MDI means I need to be in top 300.I know atleast 10 people personally who will make it to the IIMs,another 20 through forums.So,say roughly around 40 people.So,260 left are my real competition."

Considering the skills or even language or luck,lets say 80 are behind me.Now its just 180.Hmmm..possible na??" I asked with earnest.

She took a deep breathe. "What was your Data Interpretation mark in last mock??Did you manage to clear the cut off atleast ?",she asked.

I looked at the book that lay in front of me.Some things are better untold.

How to write answers in AU exam?

Very often I wonder what have I gained in 4 years of my college life (apart from the kgs) ?

 

Technical knowledge? Hmmmm..

Practical?  Huh?

Ah!To write effectively.Yup.Bingo!!

Now,I am a very creative writer.

So,in this post,I am to explain "How to write well in AU exam".

Lets take an example: 

Question: What are logic gates?

Answer: A circuit that uses binary inputs  to perform a logical function.

Before you start,chew on this.

Rules:

1) Never stop an answer in a single or double line.

2)Let adjectives and adverbs be your strong point.Master them before your first semester.

3)Implement longer sentences.

4)The most vital point.Carry colour pens-the more you use them,better the scores.

Remember to sit for a longer time in the hall.Not that you are going to score more but it will definitely scare the peers.

To proceed with the writing part:

Answer: A circuit that uses binary inputs  to perform a logical function.

1) When you have no clue at all

(or asked for 2 marks)

 Logic gate,as the name suggests,is a gate of logic.Since it is logical to use it,it is also known as logic gates.The gate or electronic circuit (as we are electronics engineers we tend to use more of electronics) that has the ability to perform the logic using the logical functions on the electronic circuits is widely known as (also known as ) logic gates.

2) When you have partial idea:

(or asked for 4 or 6 marks)

2) (a) ..Oh yeah!Forgot to mention.If possible ,try to write in points and use all Roman numerals and alphabets available.Stick on to Indian alphabets ,otherwise they could be mistaken for formulae.

so,here it goes again.

2) (a) Logic gates (double underline)

Draw diagram

*It is the basic element.The most fundamental element that make the electronic circuits.The vital part of all digital system.

*It is a gate.

*It uses logical functions

*It uses and implements logical functions on gates

*It can be used in electronics.

*It is used to perform a logical function.

2 (b) Another way of creative writing

(or asked for 16 marks)

*What are logic gates :(double underline and double space)

Draw diagram

They are gates used in circuits.

They are logical gates using logic.

 * What are gates?(double underline and double space)

Draw diagram (same but horizontal view)

They allow inputs.

They provide output.

*What is logic(double underline and double space)

Draw diagram(same but vertical view)

The circuit that uses logical functions.

They are used in electronics.

*Why are they used?(double underline and double space)

no idea

Staff did not teach

I did not listen

I am stupid

I am subs

* When are they used(double underline and double space)

Whenever anyone wants to use it.

When people are bored.

*Advantages of logic gates(double underline ans space)

It is relatively simple

It is compact

It is compatible

It is easy

It can be used with everything

* Disadvantages:(double underline and space)

It is not relatively simple

It is not compact

It is not compatible

It is not easy

It cannot be used with everything.

Conclusion (Double underline and space)

They are gates used in circuits.

They are logical gates using logic.

3) When you know the answer

This situation never arises.If it does,it does not appear in the paper or it is considered out of syllabus.

 

Now you know what to write.

Write legibly.

Use as much as words as possible.

Drag sentences.

Colour the paper.

People benefited from above post can leave comments below.

The comments will be used in the book to be published.

This and that(2)-Theatre musings

1) Four of us went to a movie called "Exorcism of Emily Rose".We didnt intend to go to any particular movie and so the choice was random.The movies with the exorcism tag has always scared us which thrilled even more.As soon as the movie started,my friend Indu shut her ears(a natural response when the horror movie starts).The first half was only some stunts performed by the protagonist or the ghost or the lead role(all same) .In the interval we had a discussion of what had happened so far.The Hindu review had claimed the second half to be very scary esp the part where the ghost reveals itself.The lights were switched off and the movie started again.

This time, all of us shut our ears and looked..looked ..looked..waited..waited..till..

"This story is based on true life story.

"The End"

2)After watching dasavatharam for the the second time,five of us came out of the theatre battling the crowd.Two of the policemen outside were doing their job of directing people.One of them turned his head somewhere near our direction and shouted

"Arivu irruka?Thalu..ada chi thalu..%$^&%*^&%^%(&(^&*"

He was getting heated up.

"Who is the idiot blocking the way?" ,I asked my friend.Both of us turned around and scanned.There was no one in sight.We looked in front,realized our folly and moved out of the place.

3)First day ,First show- very rare, but we accomplished this and the movie was "shock" which was a remake of Ram Gopal Verma's hindi flick. The theatre was full and it gave us the immense satisfaction.The sound effects were so great that the calling bell rung in the movie sounded even horrendous than the intended noises.When the movie got over,we realised the guys who sat in the front provided more entertainment than the movie itself.

4)Movies with college friends are fun ,provided you go to the right movie.We bought couple of tickets at Rohini for the Movie mayavi.The first shock was that the theatre itself was empty except for you-know-whos.We were in the last seat trying to make the maximum noise and annoy others in the theatre.It was kind of ok in the first half.When the second half started,we tried the same.It went on for few minutes and after that...

"Subha..subha..hey.."

I got up suddenly ,looked around and realized where I was.

Looked at the screen-it was blank.

Occasionally,I am that pathetic.

5)My first movie at my most favourite theatre sathyam was Ayutha Ezhathu.I went with couple of school friends after the boards.I was fascinated with everything-the ambience,the stall and even the big dhabba of pop corn.I got the pop corn.It was very huge and could be generously shared.I passed it on and started talking to my friend on right.After few minutes,the box came back as expected.It was empty.

The gesture

My courtesy starts with a 'hi' and ends abruptly with a 'bye'.The rest is just curiosity.

One fine morning,or almost afternoon,I was looking at my hopeless hairstyle when the phone rang.It was my friend from banglore -my classmate in school.I was pretty surprised because we occasionally spoke and shared news for not more than five minutes.

"You home? You free?",she yapped.

I was wondering why she was so excited.

Looked at my watch like a big shot and said "Absolutely free".

"Come to waves then".

I was again surprised.Took me time to even realise what she was saying.Waves,the apparel stores,was like ten minutes drive from my place and a person from Banglore cant be there.

Wait!!..

"You here in Chennai? When? Why?What?How?"

Ok,Only a fool can ask more than what  wise can answer.

"You come here na.Will explain everything."

Excitement can do wonders.I was outside in another ten minutes.

While on road,memories flashed.I remembered her only in uniform.By the time,I could even visualize my school days,I was inside the shop.

I scanned the entire women's section.hey!!that could be her.nah!!This??Too tall.Must be the one in red shirt...

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii subhaaaaaaaaa" came a voice from behind.

I turned.Same enthusiasm.Simple.Sweet.Same.

I stood like Zombie.I dont know why I do that .

Suddenly even before I could realise it,she hugged me.I didnt expect that.

What did I do?

Stood like zombie.

"So,how are you??How is life?'

"Everything good.And you?"

Even spoke like Zombie .

The story part is over.Nothing funny or memorable.An incident to show how nice some people can be and how stupid one can be.It is all about gesture.

Why am i writing this?

Because I  dont know what I should do first when I meet my 'good old days' friends.Should I give them a hug?

I really havent found out.

Hidden n not able to seek

Childhood is all about innocence and energy .The enthusiasm never dies out.The colony where I live carries my fondling memories and I can relate each and every tree or building to an incident.People moved out and in ;I even made good friends but when I think of what I did as a kid,it makes me smile.I am surprised at my own vulnerability.Here is an experience from my good old days.

We (or rather a huge gang of guys and girls) had  unique game every season.Once it was hide and seek.Once you start playing a game;you find out the tricks and gradually the interest fades out.Innovative we were;we always framed different rules to make it exciting everyday.The rule of that day was -the girls were called "seekers or catchers" and the guys "hidders or sneakers"(i don't know how we came about names.Now you ask me think of a name for something or someone,my mind freezes.We even named a game "Greaxe") .The game began around 6 p.m.

The girls (as far as I can remember-Gifta,Prathyusha,Amrutha,Ramya,Monisha,my sister and me) started counting.We count till 100.how??1 2 3..8 9 10 and that ten times.he he he..we were math geniuses.By the time we counted,we also cheated.Open our eyes and find out which direction the guys run and even make strategies like which girl has to seek in which direction.

We never went alone when seeking.Not because we were scared or anything but the guys run so fast that it's impossible for 'a girl' to catch 'a guy'(pun unintended and a call for quotas).Gifta and me were the accomplice for the day and we were to seek the darkest and creepiest places as we were the eldest in the gang!!

At this point,I have to atleast describe the colony.It's huge and a paradise on earth.Now and not then.It was under construction or say, not very well built.This gave additional opportunities for guys to hide themselves in every nastiest corners.Some even climbed buildings on the rope that were used for construction that it takes 4 girls(two on the terrace and two down) to catch him.The colony was a complete amaze and a maze.

Gifta and me first went to a place near the car shed.Very dark and spooky.

"Will he be here?"

"I saw him run this direction"

"He must have seen us and taken another"

"Lets anyway try na".

We always spoke.Speaking was like soothing.It made the place seem less scary.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh.....

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttt?? I screamed while both of us took to our heels in some direction.

"snakeuuuuuuu"

where?where?(like the snake awaited my presence)

Dont know .green de, green.that plant snake.(yup,even our colony snakes had their own names.)

We looked at each other and slowly went in the same direction.there was something worse than snake.Ranahexadactyla..err..thats the scientific name for frog..huge one..green ..slimy..ok,stop.

Frogs are even scary than snakes.Dont ask how but to us they were.Snakes crawl on seeing us frog jump on us.See- the difference.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh...

Out of that place.

Next,we went on to search every building's terrace.Terrace is a lovely place.Breezy and scary; still lovely.Our favourite hideout due to which it was taken out of "the hidding" places in some games.

We spotted no one and heard shrills all over the place.When we looked down some4 girls were chasing a single chottu guy and he was running for his life(exaggeration but thats how he ran)."prasanth out,prasanth out!!",the chorus was sung to defame and dethrone the guy.

In another hour,a very sweet long hour,all the guys were caught except one-Jobin.Jobin ,Gifta's brother was  the athlete of our colony.Unmatched and unsaid king.7 girls and the guys met and discussed strategy yet again.The boys would join our team when they are caught.You might think it's sweet.No,it was annoying.They would keep screaming"Jobin!!run!!Girls on terrace","Jobin run!!Girls in the library".This way, the undisputed king would run to different places.

Each of us went in a different direction talking,discussing and even analysing.30 mins passed..60 minutes passed..90 mins passed..120..ok,stop right there.It was late night.

"where is this fellow hiding?"

"Aswin sollu da"(aswin tell us)

"I dont know".

"nee sonna nallaiku,neeyum naanum MAD gamela partners"(If you tell me,we will be teammates in the game called MAD).

"I  honestly don't know"

We were drained out.Completely.Defeated..oh..that we never agree upon.We were tired "of" the game.

After quite sometime,it was getting panicky.All of us started shouting his name aloud(at the same time annoying all the dhaadhi maa's who were gossiping in the park).We even made the younger guys to check in the gents restroom in the club premises.

"What if he had gone into that Atreya basement?",asked Monisha

Atreya Basement was considered haunted(Not by ghosts,come on, we are practical) by generation of mice.They squeak and we scream.Thats what happens.

"I checked there",said Aswin and we looked at him like he was the God.

We searched frantically and everywhere.So the guy has got a place that no one knew before.

"This is getting scary.What if he suffocated?",I asked.

Everyone glared.This is what happens when you ask sensible questions.

Now everyone began to give an idea like this.

"Stop it!!!!Let's go home",Gifta said.

"Go home?What about Jobin?",Prathyusha asked

"He will come back when he is tired or bored",Gifta said.Jobin and Gifta were siblings and when a sibling says that,all of us had to agree.After 10 minutes of gossip ,we vacated the place.

Sister and I were dead tired.We were half scared and half worried about Jobin.If he told our parents,they would come up with their own theories.Some things better untold. We went to our rooms,acted like studying while discussing where Jobin would have gone.

The phone rang.

"hello subha!!"

"oh Gifta,tell me"

"Jobin has been home since 7!!"

"what??!Oh!!never mind,bye"

"Bye".

I didnt know whether to cry or laugh.Slumped on the sofa and fell asleep.

multi tasking

I am a multi tasker.Ya,I am.You want to know how?

1) I can message while walking on main road(with couple of "speeling" mistakes but to some extent professional)

2)Can listen to mom's advise while reading a book.

3)Can act like listening to staff and write records underneath.

4)Can handle phone n messaging at the same time.

5)Can talk,eat and listen.

6) Can browse, listen to music (and register dad's clamour:)).

Mr.Warren Buffet..Im employable.

Chennai auto-oram oram oram po...

MUMMAI DABBAWALAS :
* Each dabbawala gets paid about two to four thousand rupees per month.
* More than 175,000 or 200,000 lunch boxes get moved every day by an estimated 4,500 to 5,000 dabbawalas, all with an extremely small nominal fee and with utmost punctuality.
* According to a recent survey, there is only one mistake in every 6,000,000 deliveries, statistically equivalent to a Six Sigma (99.9999) rating
* Owing to the tremendous publicity, some of the dabbawalas were invited to give guest lectures in top business schools of India, which is very unusual.

Everyone has given the above statistics.Absolutely everyone.All I say is that they haven't been to Chennai and travelled in an auto.

Beep!beep!
"Take an auto from the bus stand.It's kinda far to walk"-was the message from my friend who had reached the venue long before even when I boarded the bus.I scurried from my seat and jumped out the bus. All I did was give an anxious look when four autos lined up.Yup,that's all it takes for these drivers to find out who needs them.Throw some perplexed and worried look and they would be in front of you in no time.I bent down a bit and said the destination confidently.Dealing with autowalas is as difficult as explaining insurance policy to a grumbling person.You need to sound confident to pull it off safely.If they find that you are not sure;they follow their own suite. "50 rupees ma" he said.I nodded a no and said "it's too much".
The second strategy while dealing them-always make it less than what they ask for-whether you are sure or not about the place.
"40",he said. "No, 30"I replied.He frowned ,grumbled,acted like leaving and eventually agreed.They always do that.Eventually agree to you.

The vehicle was in full swing even before I got into it.Now I know why an auto has many rods across-to save you.One master turn and he drove in full speed.I don't even remember sitting;I was waving in mid air.Thanks to the roads and all the sudden U -turns in the area.
The rides at MGM(amusement park at chennai) cost almost 50 to 100 but this came for just 30.He halted such a way that for a second you can feel the soul pulled out of the body(exactly,that dementor effect from the harry potter series). At the signal,he had a face that Michael Schumacher would have loved to witness.Full of vigour and ferocious.The signals are not meant for them-govt's mistake.

My hero here stole through the tiny spaces where even human dared not to go.I have always been fascinated by mazes but this was extraordinary feat that has just been missed out in the Guinness world record.Again the vehicle throttled and partially galloped(you read it perfect -it's galloped).Every bump on the road was made evident and I couldn't stop cursing the govt,the driver and myself while he did his part by shouting at all the drivers and people on the road.It gives them thrills,I guess.

Adding to all the woes and curses,I didn't know the exact location of the place I was supposed to go.
"Stop on the right;I will ask that paan fellow".The vehicle screeched while halting.Even before I could make an attempt,he shouted "hello!!How do I go to...?".
The paan fellow took his own sweet time and mumbled something that I didn't understand but the driver nodded.The coaster ride began again.I swear I lost half of my spine in that 15 minutes journey.

I was spared from the brutality when I saw my friend waving on the other side of the signal.
"stop near the car.ya,the place where the blue shirt fellow is standing".
He halted in a style yet again.I just threw myself outside,gasped for air and gave him the money.The notes were crumbled and rolled in my hand.He grabbed it and disappeared in search for another prey.

My friend couldn't see my desperation."How much ?"he asked.
"Just 30",I said "but the experience- priceless".

Conclusion:Autowalas in chennai are faster,more or less accurate (they make sure u reach the place),earn lot more than most engineers do;).So,They too can give guest lectures at IIMs.Watch out folks.

This n That

Sometimes it is not intended but turns out humorous-my college days..

1)6 hours of Engineering Drawing because the sir had not completed the "portion".
"When the L.V. of the structure or the building...."
Suddenly I raise my hand n say 'Excuse me sir,I have a doubt".
The whole class is woken n every head turn towards me.
Sir is startled.
After few secs of silence,he asks "out?? u said want to go out??..ya, pl do".

2) In lab,swapna n me were working on a circuit but whatever we did ,the needle in the ammeter simply didnt budge.
"hey sugan,get another ammeter pl"
Sugan was also our batch mate(in fact 3 others who were chatting in the corner were our batch mates)
Promptly she found one.No use-it still didn't work.
"shall we get another transistor?". Even that didn't work.
"cha",I said finally,"I have a feeling that we are making a fundamental mistake".
Swapna turned towards me ,slapped her forehead,went to the corner and switched on the main.

3) On the very first day of college,Gaay and I were discussing about book banks.
Just to clarify our doubts,we turned behind n asked the girl "Where are you planning to get your textbooks?which book bank?"
She cleared her throat and said "British Council Library".
No expression on our faces,our eyebrows lit up n we turned front.
The girl(Mini-now my close friend) and I hardly visited the college library in the four years.

4)Once outside the networking lab.
"hey subha,got ur lab shoes??" my batch mate asked.
"Nope,I didnt.Jus the way we planned.Dont worry,they will allow us in".
Jus as luck could have it,HOD came.
"where are your lab shoes?"
Everyone looked at each other and then at me.I was the only one who seemed composed.
"Maam,it's only networking lab and we are going to work on computers.So,no shocks."
"hello!!Computer runs on 220 V.Quite enough to kill you!!",she said.
"Then why is that we remove our shoes when we go inside the computer lab", I asked.
Got a point,I thought.Everyone grinned at me.Felt like their saviour.
"subhashree!!You are lazy enough and give excuses like this??This is not the way to talk or argue.Rule is a rule"
We were made to stand out for three whole hours.

5) Lab n me have something to do with each other.
Once I came barging inside the lab after doing some errand for our symposium.I
put on the coat as I was entering.Didnt realise staffs were seated there.
Then one of them called out for me.
In all that hurry and with a confused expression I moved towards him.
"Any idea what lab is this?",he asked.
Ok,after three weeks,this should have been easy.
I gave a blank look,then turned towards my batch and asked "hey!!sir has a good question.What lab is this?"
He was shocked and put his hand on the head.Jus few minutes back, he had been telling his colleagues that our batch was the most sincere.(it's not my fault)

6) There was this staff who had a annoying habit of conducting "so called GD" everyday in class.
She would come up with abrupt topics and make students talk on it.I was called out everyday.
But my other classmates usually dont bother or jus say 'no idea'.
So,I decided to make it clear to her that I was not interested too.
"What would have if we had no reservations?",she asked one fine day scanning the entire class,"subhashree,tell me.."
I took this as an opportunity and said "I have no clue ma'am.Absolutely clueless".
She hadn't expected this from me and silently moved towards the board.I was glad she got the point.
Out of blue,She suddenly turned and asked "Subhashree,stand up and tell me -why dont you have any clue?"
I gave her a blank stare.Think I cursed myself too.

An article in the newspaper(omg!!)

19 dishes on the menu at food shortages summit
Patrick Wintour and Patrick Barkham


As the food crisis began to bite, the rumblings of discontent grew louder. Finally, after a day of discussing food shortages and soaring prices, the famished stomachs of the G8 leaders could bear it no longer.
The most powerful bellies in the world were compelled on Monday night to stave off the great Hokkaido Hunger by fortifying themselves with an eight-course, 19-dish dinner prepared by 25 chefs. This multi-pronged attack was launched after earlier emer gency lunch measures — four courses washed down with Chateau-Grillet 2005 — had failed to quell appetites enlarged by agonising over feeding of the world’s poor. The G8 gathering had been seen as a “world food shortages summit” as leaders sought to combat spiralling prices of basic foodstuffs in the developed world, and starvation in the developing world.
But not since Marie Antoinette was supposed to have leaned from a Versailles palace window and suggested that the breadless peasants eat cake can leaders have demonstrated such insensitivity to daily hardship than at the luxury Windsor hotel on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. After discussing famine in Africa, the peckish politicians and five spouses took on four bite-sized amuse-bouche to tickle their palates. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

Driven by passion

A song on lips in melancholy melody,

A desire in heart vociferous and audacity,

A goal set at an aeon length,

A mind set upon sea level depth,

To reach the zenith and nadir ,

To live a life of passion wilder.

gundu vandu..

I AM FAT.I declare that to the world .Cha yenna declare ??pathalaey theriyum:(.

Is being fat..ok ok..some choose to say chubby bad? Hmmm..not fair,I am not obese(psst..have done that weight-height ratio thingy many a times). Occasionally, one or two people tell you that you have put on extra pounds.Just grin and joke about it-matter solved.But what do you do when 7 people on average tell you that every day??..look at the mirror ,turn one side then other side,pull in your tummy and again turn one side and finally find out that the reflection occupies more space than it did previously.(Mirror thappa irrukum oh??..possibile..try maximum excuses).

After excessive brooding (with lays packet in hand),I decided to take measures.My friend suggested that I go to Gym.Many people suggest that but it makes sense only when there is a need.Honestly.I hate Gyms.One-you need to to move every muscle and two-I don't know how half the instruments work.(pathetic..seri free vidu). Alas, I wanted to try it anyway. There was a gym in my own quarters where I live.(Apa escape,no instructor).Even before I could savour the happiness, one guy (almost a hunk ) enters.Why are there mirrors all over the place?I went red when the guy gave an astonished look.Cant blame him-he was seeing something like a hippo riding a cycle.He suddenly asked-'what are you doing'?.Even before I could answer,couple of advices and suggestions poured.Never interrupt an expert.After vigourous nodding of head I left the place and made sure I change the timings from next day.

Good things dont last for long.Next day I went into the gym late evening making sure that the guy wasnt around and worked out(ok,in my own opinion..my experience my way) and at night every muscle made its presence.Too much pain for a single day and Gym plan dropped the very next moment.

Dieting was the next step.Not fair at all-All tasty things are fattening.I love food(what is it called-epicure ah..whatever).I simply couldnt keep my hands off many things.I tried my best,I assure you.Even the salads and juices idea didnt last for long(hey,even my family needs to keep a check on the prices..inflation ,you see ,has affected everyone..then how can we afford vegetables and fruits?:)).

Walking is good and helps to keep fit.Simple and easy I thought.Actually it was, till my dad intervened.His walking and my jogging matched.Why does he have to walk so fast and maintain the same speed for all 8 rounds around the park.First , I was brisk but by the end of 5th round ,I paced like a snail and in the final round- collapsed.So,plan slowly dropped.

'It isnt working',I thought.Keep a check on the dresses you wear.Like my dad says 'yethu irruko athu thaan varum and theriyum'(fav dialogue for photos n poses).Dresses didnt make any difference.

After all that,I decide to stay and eat healthy and so as my first step- declare it to everyone.Phew,article completed...crush crush crumble crumble.. and so my lays packet.

Is it that way or is it pessimism??

*Life usually gives something like Hobson's choice-take it or leave it.(I always choose to leave it.)

*Always feel used.

*Nobody hates ; same time nobody likes .

*Always experimented with.

*Give more,expect less in return.

*Want to do more,eventually do nothing

The numerology..*cough cough*

I love numbers.Not quants or the ones you break your heads over but one's date of birth and blah blah blah.Hey come on!Don't tell me you haven't looked up at tarot cards or got interested in some rare predictions.So,Here it is-my take on numbers.

Make sure you comment so that I can improve on my numerological skills;)

People born on (only date of birth and not month or year)

01,10,19,28-Dominant,Optimistic,possessive,stick to their principles.

02,11,20,29-Fickle minded,very friendly,loves to have fun,trendy.

03,12,21,30-Very friendly,soft spoken,a bit introvert(still experimenting:))

04,13,22,31-Very smart,friendly but not close to anyone,talented,lazy.

05,14,23-Love their family than anything,fickle minded,soft spoken,spend thrift.

06,15,24-Very smart and talented,modest,love to show off,enjoy life to maximum,hardly depressed.

07,16,25-creative,lazy,popular,friendly,lives for the moment.

08,17,26-(I consider this a powerful number) Ambitious,talented in a particular thing and will eventually get it,bold,extrovert,will not stick to a person anytime.

09,18,27- Soft spoken,secretive,helpful(still experimenting)


Post in your views .Will include all that.

The last stand..

Lethargy can be a part of your life but sometimes it tends to set your life apart; even if it is your usual semester examination. There are times when you hate a subject which conveniently adds on to your woes. One such subject was computer architecture ,way back in third year.

CA classes were for activities like sleeping, dreaming, writing records under desk, chatting everything except listening. I am not even sure what the staff attempted to teach as I was stubborn not to listen. The internals don’t pose a threat because cramming in the answers the day before and during the long tiresome bus journey was more than enough to score decent. The questions were always predictable.

You realize that the time has flown only when the semester exams are around the corner. Perfect for get-together…ooops..I mean the effective combine studies. The CA exam was in another two days when my friend and I realized that we had done nothing.
If I were the VC of our university, I would make sure that the exams are never in May because the sun and books do their magic and make us sleep; even in the exam hall.

Big fat foreign author books are very good. They explain concepts clearly but strictly not recommended for people who study the day before the exam. After some desperate search for a local author book, we got only one copy and decided to share. We made our avowals and swore to do some serious study the next day and worked on a plan.

Our study strategy’s first step was to invite two more people to help us. My sister and another friend were chosen. The pathetic part was that my sister was in eleventh and the friend was doing medicine!!They seemed much more focussed than we were. The problem was one book and 4 people.Trrrrrr…the book was torn into four sections-chapter 1 & 2 with me and rest distributed among others.Chapters are always framed this way-first easy,second long but doable,third and fourth hard, and fifth..I am not sure.I have never reached till there in any semester.The two tables in my room were occupied by sister and me and friends made themselves comfortable on the bed.My Engineering friend slept more than she read.The room was silent was 3 hours and the first to speak was my doctor friend(that’s how I am going to refer her ) who had read the entire chapter assigned and was ready to pour out whatever grasped ;much to our embarrassment.She did her best and we dealt the rest ourselves.In this way most of the syllabus was done.My sister was excited about the entire process and asked questions,to which we, obviously ,didn’t know the answers. Two of them left early while my engineering friend stayed till late night.The subject was done to satisfactory level.

The next day,after usual hustle-bustle in the corridor and last minute cramming, I entered the hall and prayed extra hard.I found that I wrote more than I had learnt but that is what I call tactics.Everyone described that paper as tough, so that left me in safe zone as the correction would be lenient. My friend too had done her best .During the time-gap between the exam and result,we promised that we would be more serious about exams and many other things (which we have never followed till date). We waited for the results anxiously which came out in another two months.

Much to out relief,we managed to scrap through!! My mother was shocked to see a ‘just pass’ but I gave my innocent ‘I –don’t-know- what-went-wrong’ look.She grumbled about something-the university or me I couldn’t hear.I rang up the other friend and told her the result and bribed my sister not to tell the inside story.

After all that was over,I made it a point to not to repeat this last minute study again as luck would not favour a person always.

Having read just four lines from my ‘entire’ Mobile Communication’s book, I was bugged and so began to write this article. By the way, the exam is in another 2 days.

Chew n swallow

Things I have learnt n learning from life so far...

1) Advice ur peers how much you would want to hear.
2)We make friends but at the same time enemies too.But that is not your problem;it's theirs.
3)Whatever happens,whoever comes or however things go;ultimately it's 'you' that matters.
4)Give in your best but expect the worst.
5)Some people dont change;we change for them.What you must realise is that there are other people too changing for you.

hmmm...still learning..(will be updated as and when things happen)

Absurdity...

My sister has always been smart though I rarely admit that to her. Anyway, I can say that with confidence because no one else knows her better. When her tenth result was out, all of us just grinned. Many score well in boards because they work hard while she hardly worked.Intelligence is the right term , I suppose.

We have one thing in common-rarely miss classes but our views are different. I attend them so that I don’t miss out on anything and she attends because she attempts most of the paper with what she listens in class. I think with my head while she thinks on her feet.Her intellectual talents don’t stop here.She has been selected in Olympiads many a times and a regular topper in national talent tests. So,you could say she is versatile.

Hey!I am not writing this in praise of her or even to shower her with love or anything but to give the general idea how smart a person she is.Hope you got the idea.

Now,coming to the point;IIT wants people like this(or that’s what it claims) and I believe she has got it all to make it there.

After tenth ,we put her in one of the IIT training institutes. I believe that these institutes are not only coach you to help you enter IITs but also provide a platform to show where you stand amongst the crowd. Mother was entirely pleased with the coaching centre but what remains irony is that the same institute coaches another 52,000 students the same way.

This was the time she worked.I think I am understating the ‘work’ part.I have heard of passions but never felt it all my life. Whenever I enter the study room(a rare occurrence),I see her work furiously.You know they say something like work with heart and soul-exactly the same.I am not exaggerating.But I didn’t see this only with my sister but her friends too.

My curiosity got better of me-I questioned them all .Half of them said it was their dream; other half ,their future; while some explained that they love to study(wow!quite shocked when I heard that).I always make a mockery of the mock tests. Everyone acts like they are for real.After a mock test is done they discuss ,grumble and make some avowals but always took it serious.Infact the entire preparation was serious.

The teachers were dedicated.I have hardly seen staffs so broadminded.The collective IQ of the staffs in her school alone could be more than the collective IQ of my entire college(he he he).No rote learning or teaching ;all solved just like that.She was very satisfied with the institute.She says that she doesn’t care if she gets through IIT or not but has enjoyed every moment of working for it.Thats attitude in my opinion.

Yesterday, sister’s batch wrote the IIT exam. 4 years at IIT has been her dream for past 5 years.Friends and her discussed the paper as usual in the evening.Looks like all have done their best.

What is daunting me is that when the results come in june first week,It is definitely going to make some sad while other’s fulfilled.That one day is going to justify everything-a student’s smartness, hard work,passion and dedication.That just one day.

Can things be more absurd?

Why I love 5.someone

NOTE: This is not a review.

Being a teen is fun but being a youth is altogether different. You are compelled to be responsible and mainly sensible:).College life plays a dominant role and it is the time where you can have fun and at the same time realize your dreams.Be what you want to be and do what you ought to have done all your life. Friendships reach great heights in college life and everyone will seem special in one way or the other.
5.someone is all about college life and friendship-the very first reason why I adore the book.I have read books of very few Indian authors and so it is kind of absurd to say Chetan is the best still I find his style unique and simple.What you say or would do is there.They fight, argue,take sides and even lament now and then but finally they stand for each other and when you have finished reading the book you would probably start realizing that some of your friendships are like that. The book is genuine-it simply revolves around three ordinary guys who could be among us.
The second reason why I would recommend the book is that a person could be one of the three characters or merely their combinations.One could be cool and good looking yet timid at heart or top your class yet feel that you are useless or even feel miserable about your looks.
When reading the book, I found that I was partially all of them.I am a bit like Alok ,very less of Ryan and more of Hari. I say I am more of Hari for a simple reason-I too want to be like Ryan.

I simply love the book.