Saturday, September 6, 2014

Book Challenge- list of 10 books that have influenced your life

This is the latest challenge that is doing rounds on social networking sites these days. Today I have a lot of time and so thought maybe should pen down my own list though 10 books would never do justice to lifetime of reading. And this would also help in reviving my blog which have been neglected for almost 5 years now. So here it goes:

1.Childhood Mystery Novels: Famous Five (Enid Blyton), Hardy Boys and Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators- Thanks to these intriguing stories, my reading habit took off.

2.Teenage Mystery Novels: Sherlock Holmes entire collection (Sir Arthur Conan Doyale), Dan Brown Novels (Angels and Demons, Da Vinci Code, Deception Point, Digital Fortress, Lost Symbol) and Agatha Cristie Novels especially featuring Hercule Poirot- These Novels provided solace during the time of preparation for engineering entrance exams.

3.Harry Potter Series- JK Rowling: Need I say more?

4.Cold Steel: LN Mittal and the mutli billion dollar battle for a global empire- Tim Bouquet, Byron Ousey- A takeover story couldn’t have been described in a more exciting way

5.When Genius Failed- Roger Lowenstein: Story about rise and fall of the biggest hedge fund in 90s, truly sensational.

6.A Random walk down wall street- Burton G Malkiel: Depicts remarkable nature of investing. Really fascinating especially the idea that a blindfolded monkey throwing darts at a newspaper’s financial pages could select a portfolio that would do just as well as one carefully selected by experts

7.Habit of Winning- Prakash Iyer: Very inspirational book showing how different people have behaved in numerous atrocities and how you can do the same

8.Michael Lewis Books- Liar’s Poker, The Big Short, Boomerang: Definitely the most breathtaking non fiction novels are written by this author

9.Breakout Nations- Ruchir Sharma: Tells you what is next after BRICS and views on Emerging Markets

10.Autobiographies/Biographies- Losing my Virginity (Richard Branson), Jobs (Walter Issacson), Rafa(Rafael Nadal), Simplifly (Capt. Gopinath), Open (Andre Agassi): All of them really inspirational and provides an insight on how great people think

Special mention to Five Point Someone- Chetan Bhagat since it reminded so much of our own college life in Goa during that time.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Prerana

For those of you, who are not well versed in Hindi, Prerana means ‘inspiration’. My decision of coming to NITIE was a hasty one. I had made my mind to join BHEL initially but after getting selected in NITIE, my instincts told me to go for NITIE. So when I finally arrived at NITIE, I was looking for signs which could convince me that indeed my decision was right.

13 is my lucky number (I was born on Friday, the thirteenth) and I have had this habit of associating things with 13 to make myself happy about having such a coincidence (I know its lame, but that’s how it works for me). 13 guys got through the last list in NITIE and I happened to be one of them and that was the first motivation. Then when I arrived here, I got my roll no. as 211 from academic office (2+11=13, I know it’s lame again ;)). My marketing group happened to be Group 13 and I keep counting such coincidences and trust me, there are so many of them. I guess happiness which you get from such small things is sometimes priceless.

I was fortunate enough to get Section C since I came late (people in NITIE would know better ;)) and got the option to choose my roommate who happens to be a Gujju cum Maadu talkative chap who plays guitar and listens rock music and is willing to get up before me every day. What more could I have asked for? (except the Gujju part and he being in Coordcom and the issue raised by our dear communication professor who thankfully doesn’t teach us anymore :D).

Then came the committee selections here and I got selected in PMG ( Prerana Management Group) which is responsible for organizing the annual B school conclave of NITIE and one of the biggest events conducted in any B school in India. For more details, check out, http://www.prerana2k9.com/2009/07/we-have-pmg-16.html. It was again a coincidence that my mom’s name happens to be ‘Prerana’ so I was really happy about this. Giving interviews at 3 am in formals was a different experience and selection process gave me some really interesting memories. PMG is also a pure masti group and welcome party given by our seniors was awesome! (and that has still not given us inspiration to treat them back :P).

After that came the ‘Mandi’ and I guess I have written enough about it already, thanks to Dr. Prasad (pun intended).(http://knol.google.com/k/prats/-/4a6eln6namyq/1#)

The journey so far in NITIE has really been memorable with lots of Prerana from lots of people. Hope it continues that way. Just done with the first mid semester exam over here and after BITS, absolute grading seems too unfair :P.

PS: I am no devil ;), just a coincidence that I was born on Friday, the thirteenth.

PS2: Coordcom is our student committee which deals with the student batch fund and is better known as Vasooli Group ;)

Monday, August 3, 2009

Another attempt

Hey guys,irrespective of my several failed attempts in the past, I am trying yet again to revive my blog. A lot has happened in recent past and 'life these days' has changed drastically. For those who don't know, I have joined NITIE( National Institute of Industrial Engineering) and pursuing MBA in it. Now please don't ask me what does 'T' stand for in NITIE and how does an industrial engineering institute teaches MBA :P. Just google it and know about NITIE (you all must be knowing by now that I would never stop bragging about my institute in which I study. Earlier it was BITS Goa, now its NITIE). I can help you out with few bullet points:

NITIE in Rankings:

* Received the 'Best Management Institute of 2009' award by the Bombay Management Association (BMA)
* Ranked 3rd in placements and 5th overall in Business World B-School rankings 2009
* Ranked 5th in Outlook B-School rankings 2008
* Ranked 6th in Competition Success Review-GHRDC B-School Rankings 2008
* Ranked in the Super League (Top 10) in Business Standard B-School survey 2008
* Ranked 9th in 'Top B-Schools in India' survey 2008 conducted by HT-Mint and CFore

I'll refrain from publicizing my college now onwards since you must have got a fair idea about it. Anyways writing a blog in an MBA college is a rare opportunity which I got today (FYI, I joined the college on 22nd June) and those who are doing MBA right now would know it better. I'll start writing about my NITIE experiences from next post.

PS: Happy friendship day to all readers :).

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Life these days

I have finally spent more than a week in the campus continuously and settled down :P. This is our penultimate month in the campus and life has never been better here. With no subjects and classes (though it hardly matters as I can see looking at others’ routine), I have the liberty and flexibility to do anything anytime.

This semester has been dominated by quickies (trips planned in less then 10 minutes) and our perseverance of staying outside hostel for as much as we can. Everything looks so much accessible and bogmalo is the new jhopdi where you can go daily and just relax. The other sensation has been the hukkah which I could not bring to the room because of so much of dancing around (DISCO’s) these days, but got to know of places where we can go every now and then. Pool has become our alternative to daily exercise with Kesarval conveniently placed. Hiring cabs has been forbidden now for Goa is a nice place with nice people ready to give lifts anytime and sometimes I just think why did I shelled out so much bucks on transport earlier. (even Sethi got a lift yesterday!)

The heat is trying its best to keep us inside but damn, we are good! Lunch takes average one hour these days followed by a trip to juice corner. Snacks have been tagged with the ‘choti jhopdi’ and dinner with whatever we do not visit in the day. It’s only breakfast to which injustice has been done but that is because sleep is really good at convincing us to ignore it :P. Now just about a month left in the campus, really want to make the best out of it. Tennis court would get completed by weekend and what we had planned of playing since the start of semester would finally be materialized. Lots of things happening for the first time in the last semester and others are reviving themselves in one way or another. We have actually started going to children's park and benches again (one of our first year's regulars).Road trips have become frequent and nite outs too. Discussing about our stay over here and the things we have done is the best time pass.It feels really great doing nothing and just living for the moment for you know these moments would be hard to come by again.

PS: Resist temptation from evil (i.e discussing maggi revolution). Amen.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Back...

Yes, it's no april fool, I am back again on the blogging circuit after a break and I know you all must have missed me :D.
The past quarter has been most grueling in my college life and though I got time then and again, didn’t feel like writing. I am done with the final interview of MBA this year and with two rejects already, might as well have to repeat the entire exercise next year :P. But yah, that is the worst case because I know I can’t go through the whole process again! But you never know, this year has not been great in any respect so far for me or most of my friends, and have actually come to know and realized the impact of recession since we are the victims.( dot com burst always seemed a joke at that time). But hoping that things would turn around soon as I say good things take their time ;). So guys, not to worry, there are goodies for everyone in the store and it's just a matter of delivery. Just keep going and have faith and you'll sail through.

Anyways interviews are really all about knowing yourself and about your opinion on different issues. Things like ‘my biggest achievement’ or ‘my most embarrassing moment’ are something no one really ponders on but that is what you get to know about yourself during these interviews. I have been mostly funny, spontaneous and unconventional in most of them and would be posting my experiences soon. There was lots of learning, realizations and traveling during the whole process but I am glad that it’s over. Still jobless, might as well start writing more frequent posts and catch up on TV series and movies. Ciao for now.

PS: Other jobless people might as well wait for my next post which would be coming up soon.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Keep the Spark

This is .... Inaugural Speech by Chetan Bhagat for the new batch at the Symbiosis
BBA program 2008.
Not getting time to write posts these dayz,I found this mail really good and thought of sharing with you all.

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college,leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are
few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt atingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park.A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks.. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find.. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.

But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday?

They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level.Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.



I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever.. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you.

But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.

Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release.

Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts , having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions
in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you.

In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark..

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise.
Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends.And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.


Keep the spark in you glow through out ur life........

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Good to be back

And here I am.Back to the place which has been my home and friends who have been my family for the past 3 years. This time it is special because we have come after a 6 month break and moreover this is our last semseter in BITS GOA.
I plan to do lot many things in this sem and a 'TO DO' list is being made with the assistance of my friends. We have ticked the first thing on the list and I think we should have done it way before and that is 'New year celebration in Goa'.Living in goa for past 3 years is different and celebrating new year over here is something else! To cut it short, it was the awesomest new year ever. If this happens when beach parties are banned and security is tight, I can't even imagine what must be the case like when everything was allowed. Nonetheless we had an awesome time. Be it the club we danced till 4 in night or the beach where firecrackers mesmerized us at midnight, or the hot Indian chicks( Foreigners are a common view now you see ;)) or the pole dance by drunk chicks in clubs, had a memorable new year!
Now coming back to campus life,had a dreadful time first two days since campus was deserted and I was allotted AH3. But my heart sways for AH4 and I finally managed to get a room in it. This is the hostel where I have had the most pleasant moments in Goa.Today we have our registration in some one hour. Campus is buzzing with kids I don't know, first yearites probably whom we are still to interact with ;). Nobody is speaking about placements and I think people have accepted the fact that there won't be any this sem :P. So better to enjoy the last sem. Two mba results out,the 'big' one is due this week. Lotsa thing in mind, but hardly any time to apply my thoughts on anything.
All I can say is it feels good to be back.Good to find the old faces moving pass the corridor. Eating at our joints(although they suck) and doing nothing but vellagiri which we are best at. People are skeptical that they would have nothing to do after two months. But as of now, I am enjoying the campus and hopefully would find ways to keep us all entertained :D.

PS:HAPPY NEW YEAR :D