Same Place... Same Time...

A simple facade.
Courtesy: Alexandre Dulaunoy on Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0

(originally posted on Facebook) 

Red Stripes: Duh, ugly face sits in front of me, checking me out sheepishly :$ :$ :$..

Blue Tee: *not caring, checks her out* : Huh! Another one out of school, (needy) tags a guy, flaunting her ladies...*turns around, looks on the other side* Black cat is grace, big lively eyes dancing... capture her, hold the stance and she goes... ah.. livid, elegant, mesmerizing...

Red Stripes: Vulture, uncouth... learn to dress and sit, (you) shit-face, eating mouthful!...

Blue Tee: *defiantly...*: Jealous? Robbing the guy of his pocket money... I still prefer the lady ;) She is my new crush, for next 2 years (may be)... You notwithstanding!!! *laughs illiterate*

Red Stripes: *downs a glass of water, distances from his guy, visibly fuming*: Asshole, u hoe! U r a nobody…

Blue Tee: *loses interest, falls in love*: Flowing hair, shapely curves, enthusiastic smile…
Living a virgin? Sure…
Ain’t got no gf? No…
It’s plain, nobody loves you... Right, me too searching for “nobody”…
*snaps… those pink lips*

Black Cat: *batters eyes, throws hands in air*: I know you looking at me… I don’t mind, but keep your distance please

Blue Tee: *acknowledging*: I understand, just be serene…

Black Cat: *leans into Curly Hairs, The guy won’t learn…* : Stalking?

Blue Tee: *guessing…*: Umm… No, just trying… Romantic?

Black Cat: *been there, done that*: I am serious business, not romantic!

Blue Tee: *smells the food, yummy! Worth a lick…*: I see. Want to ask… When will you girls loose the mommy feeling? Such a big crowd surrounds you like barbed fences…

Red Stripes: *taking interest*: This seems interesting…

Black Cat: *smiling inwardly*: Big prizes are never easy… Upgrade, be a human… Before the animal stint…

Blue Tee: *slight serious, yet not losing it, recovers… smiles*: I understand. I appreciate. But madness (love) can be a solo trip… *turns back, checks Red Stripes* she still beats you, any day…

Red Stripes: *calm and relaxed, more composed than ever*: It’s OK… Go on…

Black Cat: *stands up, to leave. Turns around, tying her hair, greetings…*: Time to leave… Nice time… You will learn

Blue Tee: *not blinking his eyes, continues to stare. Silence ensues…*

Black Cat: *walks beside Blue Tee… No words… Look nice… The last glance probably*

Curly Hair: *jumps into the air, loud to the crowd…*: Bye! Bye! See you tomorrow…

Blue Tee: *wide eyed… amazed…*: Same place??? Same Time???

Red Stripes: *on looking, laughing…*: Cheap!!! Are you for real?

*Silence follows… Fan’s noise… Fun continues… Hopefully!*

Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur

8PM, 21/08/2012, Tuesday

Kicking Asses!

A graffitti disobeying the laws.
Courtesy: Wrote on Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0

There are only two forces in the world, Sword and the Spirit! In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit! -Naploean Bonaparte

You get up late. Dress nice (...it was taught to you in last semester, on one of the days when you were not feeling well, sick you too fall buddy!) and go to the class you like, more than any other class (... being precise it is an elective course in Renewable Energy Sources...)

On day 1, you were 9 minutes late and as you had crossed the 5 minute buffer given by teacher you decided to track back to hostel, without even making an attempt to get into the class.

Day 2, you are 7 minute late (...a nice improvement of 2 minutes...), you try to make a silent entry but are gestured out (...the guy, he is a professor, on podium is man of his words, will not let you in even a second outside the prescribed buffer...). So once again you make a 180 degree turn and join walk with some guys who would proxy for you the whole semester, for simple fun of checking out girls of your department (...must say though starved of the feminine wafts to the core, these are some really cool people I have met; for a change they are actually alive and do not act programmed zombies...).

Later in a 4 hour session, cut to 1 hour 30 minutes (...am ecstatically glad about that...); your spirits are (...sorry your spirit is, got only one spirit though it is very random and miss directed...) raised thinking about steel, nuts, bolts, glass, overhanging yellow lights, poker tables, sail boats and thought of a multi-story club house with exclusive graphic exteriors (...one has a pole dancer clinging to the extended tall column you plan to make into an elevator shaft...), while much touted about teacher fails to faint even the most frail soul in the studio...

Written enough of it. Bye Bye personal Blogging for a rather long spell (trying to do so but this habit is addictive and therefore this announcement does not come with a guarantee...) :) :D :P ;) Meanwhile friends, sworn enemies and non-descripts learn to blantantly disobey with a sly and wicked grin, make people pant and get a spicy life. And yep am not going to stop web-logging for the very precise reason of it being the only perfect platform for me to give away my exhibitionist tendencies with little harms done.

Zip Zap Zoom - VI : Pink Ecstacy

A 500 CC Royal Enfield Bullet
Courtesy: nwflightdesign on Flickr | License: CC BY-NC 2.0

There is no spring without winter, there is no life without death!

Have numerous rides in mind and want to write about all of them. But this time I am writing about today's ride! It started with a call last night, it's true am made enough to waste 30 minutes talking to a guy, planning a bike ride next day! No offense, becuase I believe only good starts happen automatically, but sustaining good things need effort on our part. So that 30 minute long call ended in me influencing Pawan to join me with scooty today. He must be at my room at 12 but as usual no one cares for time, me included!

He calls me to join him at main-gate at 2 in noon. I go to the place, and I learn that he got a Hero Honda Splendour and I am not pleased (...because this means I will not be riding, pillion again)! Anyways, we see off Priyanka and zip on J.L.N. Marg. We decide to visit the only Royal Enfield showroom in Jaipur City! It's on Ajmer road and instead of going straight to the location we move towards Crystal Palm and delibrately ask a couple for the location, and the guy is smart - he doesn't embarasses himself and directs us in wrong direction. Well we are quite understanding guys, we know one must not give any hint to her girlfriend of his own ignorance!

We ask a few more guys and they are grown up folks! Been through life they prefer not to dupe us and give right directions. Once to the showroom Mr. Pawan has to set his hair up (we are going to have a photo session on this royal ride!). I too am wearing a new shirt, well this means I don't have to worry about my hair style. People will be more interested in bike and shirt! We shake hand with the showroom guys and give all hints that a potential customer throws!

Showroom is glass panels, posters of bikes, some models on display, an office table (a big one) and a whole wall with a poster giving timeline of Royal Enfield history. Being a cult, we know quality is prime concern for these guys and the way they exhibit professional eloquence a person understands what their work means to them. We get all the details we need, we had the info but we wanted to know how much the people their knew. And they knew a good deal. Two similar bikes give different experience because one has rear view mirrors and the other doesn't, and to add to it the one with mirrors had 18" tires and other one had 19" ones. We click pictures sitting on bikes and Pawan gets a test ride. At a minimum price of 86 grands, the bike is an experience worth living for.

Back on road we move towards M.I.Road and visit a Bajaj showroom. The experience is not worth telling. It was just visiting a general store and grabbing some grocery items (...brats rarely go shopping grocery!) Pawan drives to SBI branch in the area and wishes me to see girl of his choice! He doesn't accompany me but she being the only girl in bank I am able to recognize her, she is nice (...I must not label her an eye-candy!), but she doesn't gives me any heed!

In Bapu Market we have some street food, all three flavours available on the stall. I have to pay for it, oh bad idiot doesn't even gets his petrol tank re-filled. You will not be able to fool me next time! We ride fast on J.L.N. and talk about things very vague and random. An uncle in Santro is big time nymphomaniac and drives rash to chase a girl sitting pillion to his boyfiend (...he could be his brother or friend also!). Anyways important is too take care of the poor guys who break their leg in mishap just in front of our institute. We call 108 and feel free to leave, people are good and are acting paramedics to the injured.

Bye Bye 2009! Happy New Year.

Image courtesy : jurvetson on Flickr, check usage terms before using the image.

This would be a boring post, though I have tried my best to make it readable. But at the best it just accounts my whole year of 2009.

January
------------------------------------------
1) Jan 5 - Back to college, after long winter break! We all love that slow journey on Indian railways.
2) We had cards sessions in Shashi's room, while his roomies exercised to guitar's tunes! Tried for 2 days, after that my abs were extinct. And I was not able to keep track of my losses! Time is spent setting things up!
3) Jan 14 - Guddu's birthday! :O Hardly matters, I am busy flying kites in the sky!
3) Jan 23 - Got my laptop. Love it, exclusive purple matte finish for me only. Shall I say this? But nice to find Shrey and Nilabh welcome you at home along with your family, late at night. Boosts na!
3) Jan 26 - Back to Jaipur. A fantastic journey, will never forget! Forgot Foo's birthday! Movies and a truly effortless laugh-riot.

February
-----------------------------------------
1) Feb 6-8 - Blitzschlag days! Funny times. Nice outings.
2) Feb (end-week) - Pune visit, met Debz, Mumbai-Pune expressway journey! Mumbai was dull experience, kill you Foo I think you could manage flunking an exam!
3) In true sense it was dumbest month of the year!

March
----------------------------------------
1) Mar 19 - A distinct birthday, can't be more thankful for the fun and surprises you provided.
2) Mar 22 - fabulous scooty ride with Abhinav.
3) Newly acquired Nokia slider (miss you buddy) made me click happy!

April
----------------------------------------
1) Blogging month of the year, not actual blogging but management stuff, networking, socialising!

May
----------------------------------------
1) Vacations begin! Lazy times! Did nothing, just eat, sleep, friends and Mafia wars.

June
----------------------------------------
1) A month of communications. Internet networking comes into play.
2) Phone livens up again.
3) Evening cricket matches and socialising did things great.
4) Jun 29, a college reunion.

July
---------------------------------------
1) July 1 and 3 - Outings with college friends!
2) July 8 - Agra visit. Hotel was a sucker. Enlightening train journey, poor kiddos still in my mind. Piyush, Nilabh, Gaurav and Me! Monuments were just nice.
3) July 9 - Return from Agra, still remember that we didn't try to convince Spaniards to join us on the bus journey! The leaking roof of bus was fun. Nilabh and Piyush must be able remember my most jolly and outrageously ecstatic moods in the beginning of journey. One of most crazy adventures of life, after long time did something so out-of-mind, ran away without paying auto-rickshaw, got caught resulting in a 2 month long cold war with Nilabh!
4) Colleges reopen in end week - Probably the busiest day of the year was registration for the 3rd semester. Totally exhausted after moving into new room.
6) Enjoyed long late night strolls to Gandhi Nagar station with Abhinav.

August
-----------------------------------------
1) As a general trend it was an ecstatic beginning to the semester, it at least to me was enthralling to discuss designs with Kalpana madam and have those climatology lectures.
2) Aug 2 - A nice friendship day. Thanks Tanvi and Kriti.
3) Oh! Mr. Siddharth got new really fantastic approach! A legalised way of bunking classes, mail me assignments! Not being sarcastic, I in reality like this approach, saves time.
4) Jantar Mantar! Shaily, Kriti, me and Abhinav. Tell me guys if it was fun or not?
5) Jumped into ANDC thing! Learned a lot from this thing, but now-a-days I cease to be appreciative of everything and I really shall repent getting into this endeavour, and for the first time I am ready to accept I was not firm in my approach, it was just an outlook. Talk more, do less attitude of every single person in the team and every group and even from my side made me go haywire and I acted out a moron in later parts of months. But this fiasco taught me some of the nicest chapters! (What the fuck! Why am I even yelling????)

September
-------------------------------------------
1) Partially realised my errors, made amends in first week, roped in Himanshu (Oh! Manik Doomra is an asshole and considers himself the in-charge of some big projects!). Love you friend, my first Photoshop tutor (I will never need another). Salute, to everyone who was a partner...
2) Ran to Delhi, don't now but now I consider myself lucky to have been through a 65 km long jam which made Jaipur-Delhi travel last 14 hours!
3) All submissions delayed by at least one week, aftershocks I guess! With no reasons to give I made my own joke in class-rooms!
4) Dusshera celebrated with a ride (tripling), Pawan, me and Abhinav. Crossword and Dhabas!


October
--------------------------------------------
1) Started revival, got organised.
2) Great I was exercising for a change! (Happens when you want to drain out that extra energy!)
3) Diwai breaks! Abhishek and me are jolly doing something common (...silly he made me think it as of a mutual thing, it was a distinct case with me!) Social I was becoming, sickening even to think I hosted family members with courtesy! :O
4) Back in college, had a plan (Like most things involving more than one person failed miserably! Avneet dear sorry, I can't keep the bet!)
5) Now I was bunking with an excellent degree of precision, but now I was careful not to misuse this time!
6) Got friendly and frank with room-mates and visiting friends! Bike rides are back in scene, Oct 26 - Zip Zap Zoom - V! Since Diwali break, everyone was asking where Himanshu boss has vanished.
7) Got back to reading habits, 2 states and City of Djinns (yukk, its real bore stuff!) Sidney Sheldon (couldn't read more than 50 pages, not because of boredom or heavy lingo, but my lazy nature (killed it anyhow) . Senuti's recommendations!)

November
-----------------------------------------------
1) I love this month. Exams, movies, magazines, thadi nights, cricket matches, strolls...
2) Room-mates, me and few new found acquaintances (Shri Krishna Meena, Mani and xyz), that's life.
3) Madam Foo is there on the other end of the fan. Guddu and Mom are among other regular callers! These people are punctual. Must tell you, am a sucker. If these guys can be so good despite their hectic and busy lives, why the hell I do fail?
4) Everything was Photoshopped! Exams were fun (for last time I guess, expecting a dip in scores!)
5) Later in the month, I was getting ecstatic as well as hasty to leave for Delhi. Plans were set and abuzz on net as well as phone!)

December
-----------------------------------------------
1) Blog is the new life. Shri Krishna challenges me to post once daily! And I do accept and here you see results.  I write poems and social stuff!
2) Dec 4 - Blown by jury, totally injured state of mind! We are back in Delhi, nobody knows my whereabouts for next 3 days.
3) Contacted friends one after another. Even tried to make a plan of excursion with few college friends (frankly a half-hearted attempt, and essentially a half-hearted response!)
4) Mumbai and Chennai both were turned down! Thankful to myself for the decision, loved to be with friends and family in the city only.
5) Daily morning it was a walk, basketball, badminton or cricket, sweet-corn, bread-butter, fog and sunshine, dipping temperatures are fun!
6) A girl comes back and makes space to linger in my mind and I tell you she does no bad any more. And I like to dance (edit, go on long strolls, vo hand-in-hand wali walks, head on shoulder wali talks, banayengey buildings saath-saath with her (in my dream world) as 95 FM and MP3 buzz in my ear-plugs. :)
7) I try to complete some works and take time (...ajeeb dastan hain, vacations mein
busy college days mein ye ladka free hai) to not annoy family people by joining them to various places. (I actually don't want to deny this thing, it is true that I can spend hours sitting on floor of that District Centre Wordsworth book shop if Guddu gets along with me. And madam don't dare tease me for this confession as you know I still have that option in mind, though she thinks me as no option ;) )

Chalo! Account closed! New Year, probably a new Manik, the experiment continues!!! :D Perfect nahi milega, item yeh pango se bhara hai!!! :D :P :$ :O

This was a summary of my 2009, complete to best of my knowledge! Though I do not guarantee not missing some things. An excellent year passes by! No regrets. Happy New Year to everyone. Make sure you all make 2010 even more successful and fun.

Zip Zap Zoom - V : Shopping And Food Fiesta

Image courtesy :travellingtamas on Flickr, check usage terms before using the image.


Its a Monday and everyone in the hostel room is bored to the core, but this time no one wants to curse things but everyone wants to make an effort to be happy and have fun.

Soon they all decide to go to nearby mall called Gaurav Towers. The 4 guys got 2 bikes. I decide to sit pillion to Vikas, because am told that he drives crazy and its not the speed but his driving style that drives you mad. He in their words can make you scream even at a slow speed of 20 kmph. Hearing all the appraisals I had to experience the whole thing to believe it.

Sitting pillion to this guy I understand what the whole talk was about. Late night bike rides are not new to me, but this driving style was surely. The only limit with this guy was his CD Dawn. He would throttle it to the full, even on the curves. We definitely jumped 2-3 road dividers and half the way was passed, bike making an angle of 45 degrees with the road.

At the mall, all 3 guys are busy checking out clothings as I continue to check myself out in the mirrors simultaneously giving my expert comments on the things they choose for themselves. In a Pantaloon showroom Hrithik Roshan's life size posters grab my attention and I let myself loose to imagine wearing the expensive clothing he endorses. After the mall, we guys come back to hostel for a short refreshment and continue with the plan.

The break ends as we make move for our next destination, a Vaishali Nagar rented house; Vikas lives here. Guys mock me, "You can switch rider if you are afraid". But reality is actually opposite as I liked the road-rash kind riding of this guy who is excellent with Hindi literature, Premachandra and likes being his favourites. This one is a guy with as wide a range of tastes and moods as I do have. We enter a virtual race as my two room-mates zip pass us on a Pulsar while we cruise on Ajmer Road passing Gopalpura Bypass, Gujjar Ki Thadi and several known landmarks in south-western Jaipur before we go off the main roads to enter the streets of western Jaipur, where we shop for some vegetables and water. Soon we reach Vikas's house and now it is time for Vikas and Mahendra to cook food for 4 of us while me and Rohit get busy calling friends, checking out newspapers, browsing Vikas's collection od Hindi literature and yup I train Rohit in Spider Solitaire, a cheap and quick but extensively engrossing time-pass. We do a bit of help too, but that can be discounted for.

As we get the food, we eat a plenty ignoring the fact that it was not awesome but definitely a 1000 times better than the hostel shit. Going by Punjabi standards food had no salt and was good only for a blood pressure patient. Having our share of food and enjoyed it nice, we decide to move back to hostel quickly, mostly to avoid closure of colony gates. Vikas has to guide us out of the mesh of streets. Once on the main road it takes us barely 15 minutes to cover a distance of about 10-12 km, while we do tripling, avoiding the heavy commercial traffic of the nights.

Another Term ...

Image courtesy : Benimoto on Flickr, check usage terms before using the image.

So another semester closes and I must say it was one enjoyed with full zest. Had its troubles and things, but made you learn a lot. A classic one at that. With little roaming a lot of things to work on, this semester made me a student again. Never toiled this much to complete works, actually never cared! :D

Leave work aside this semester made me closer to my room-mates, but as always I can never be relied upon so they better be careful! ;) Found new places in campus to have fun, I was mistaken that I have explored every inch and new places include - Dean Gate, Football Ground and yup Thadi! :)

Did not explore much of Jaipur in this semester and could not be consistent on many of my projects. Ways of communication have changed a bit. Facebook is the social network, no more loyalty to Google and yup Twitter rocks.

Three semester down still it looks as if only yesterday I joined the college, lest I strain a bit and every second seems to stretched like years. Surely I love my life, this place and everything around! :*

Another spell of vacations begin!

A Colourful Power Cut

00:54 IST, Aug 04’ 2009.

A power cut leaves whole of NIT Jaipur campus in dark. Wi-Fi routers go numb rendering 3.5 hours of battery backup of my laptop useless. I have no option but to look out for traditional means of entertainment  called Radio. In Jaipur the 5 odd stations are serving ill quality of music, mostly very low tone oldies. I plug-in my earphones and move out of hostel to have a stroll, while my friend asks to sit back in the lawn and share the ear-plugs.

Outside the hostel vast darkness spreads over whole of the campus, everything has turned greyscale bathing in bright white moonlight. You can catch nice views all around the campus as there are few things to obstruct the view. Under the star-studded sky you find red-lights flickering atop the newly built high-rises dotting the skyline of city all-around the NIT campus.
Walking on the roads in campus, you find a few solar battery powered streetlights working to not much use. You can find headlights of autos and cars serving to students leaving for their home cities. I meet a pack of guys, interested in knowing if am mad or drunk that am pacing up and down the campus at those unearthly hours! I bullshit them and walk my way down to hostel, where I find numerous faces glowing under lights from the LCDs of mobiles and PCs.
Back in my room as I wonder, how my roommate can sleep so easily in dark and humid room and ease myself on the cot, electric supply resumes. I access net for sometime and then sleep to wake up early, a habit now-a-days!

Zip Zap Zoom - IV

What's new? Well this time I am the one riding! Its not Delhi but Jaipur, vehicle is neither a bike nor a scooter but Scooty Pep. Himanshu owns it and doesn't hesitate in passing me the keys of the vehicle though he knows its first hand experience for me. Abhinav and I get hold of the two-wheeler from back gate. I ask him to drive till the side lanes beside main gate, and after that I take hold of the vehicle and so begins the lovely journey. A round trip beside the railway tracks passing behind GT. We reach Saras Parour and enjoy the chocolate softies. I drive the vehicle out and reach the nearest fuel station, a top up of 20 bucks is fine for a ride. Quite confident now I take on the JLN Marg, moving on towards Gopalpura bypass, we take a little halt at Gandhi Nagar station. Further I drive the scooty through Tonk Phatak towards Crystal Palm, we do not stop there but decide to go for C-Scheme as we want to visit Crossword, book shop I came in first week of my Jaipur arrival about 8 months back, again. The place holds very good memories for me. I had bought a novel there, argued with Dhruv and enjoyed some food and Coke in the shack opposite to the book hub. I simply repeat the sequence as a ritual, this time I click the place too. Further we move and accidentally find Central Park, pass some time there and then ride beside Youth Hostel, Vidhan Sabha and Vit Bhawan. Here onwards I simply have no idea of ways but I know I will reach some place. The random ride leads me to Tonk Road where I simply drive towards Ajmeri Gate and get caught in a VIP mess at City Pulse. About 15 minute waste, further a U-turn from Ajmeri Gate and a left turn towards Albert Hall, back on JLN I drive fast and cool as I feel more free and relaxed. Reaching a top of about 75 kmph the whole 25 km ride was nice fun. I and Abhinav park it at the main gate and walk back to hostel sharing the earphones of mobile to listen music as I check the clicks we had managed...

Having not bathed whole day felt like shit so took plunge into water soon and it was crazy roaming all these hip, upmarket places in li'l too down market Tee and Pyjamas!

Truth Or Dare?

Image courtesy : CarbonNYC on Flickr, check usage terms before using the image.

Hmm posting quite emotional and depressing stuff lately. Time to break the routine and post some cool and hip masala, but it is also real stuff, as usual, not a cooked story. Times back to my initial days in hostel 7 of NIT, probably initial 1 or half month. Due to Supreme Court instruction regarding safety and ragging, there used to be regular attendance at 9:30 PM, after which entry and exit from hostel was not allowed. On one regular day after the ceremony was over me and my room-mates casually decided to delve into the game of Truth and Dare. Bottle rotates and turns come one by one revealing some fun and dark secrets from everyone falling into the trap. Those who opted for dare had to act various crazy things. And now the bottle suddenly points at me! Truth or Dare, the quetion resonates in my mind. I opt for dare thinking it will atleast keep some things under cover. Well the crazy demand comes from Mahinder, he asks me to go out of the main gate, not giving option of jumping walls, to the back-gate of th campus - a stroll of about 15 minutes. Move into a liquor shop, buy the stuff and get it back to the hostel room once again walking just below the nose of guard attending to his duty there. Having said it all I had to do the stint, just because I didn't want to cheat or was afraid of being called a coward. The next moment I decide and make headway toward the hostel gate, luckily guard does not notices me and I am able to slip away quite easily. Walking down the way I just expect that I find no familiar face on the way and that my face just doesn't give away anything. The dilemma of doing it or not also helps kill the time in the way. As I reach the shop I look around that no one is looking and hastily enter the shop. I ask the vendor for the brand Mahinder had told and quickly agree to pay anything he demanded, first time I was buying liquor and till date it remains the only time and don't know why just wanted to flee even though I was sure I can handle any situation that comes my way. Having it packed in a black polybag (just another beverage then why black polybag?) I try to hide the stuff in pockets of my pyjama. I wish to walk fast as the backgate closes at 10:30 and earlier I am back is better but the sound that the liquid produces with the glass bottle forces me to slow down. Througout the way I just keep a straight face, having learnt that it is the best way to camouflage the act! Hostel gate is in front and once again I am lucky the guard is 'busy' smoking and gossiping his time with a counterpart. I slip into the hostel through the side gate and reach for my room. Mission accomplished. They all cheer and I am happy with the praise that comes my way. Some kind of bravery award I deserve?

The dare I was given, the truth I have written so it is Truth and Dare now. Adventure and fun is life back here in hostels, specially when you are novice and amateur.

Jan 08' 2009 : Confusing Day

Image courtesy : Tall Chris on Flickr, check usage terms before using the image.

I wake up quite late at 9:20 am, going by recent standards of mine, only to find other fellows either still sleeping or engrossed in early morning teases like loud rock music, newspapers and such things. Having Ram Milan appointed for a post-lunch visit to Chaura Rasta, probably Jaipur's own veersion of Broadway, but unlike the Broadway in NYC it lacks theatres and performing art centres and is known for being a major whole sale market to cater to various needs of the city. I wait for time to pass meanwhile having proper bath and reading few more pages from my recent pick titled "N or M' by Agatha Christie. Around 1:30 in noon we leave for the mart. the bus ride reminds me of blue-lines of Delhi, rickety, over-crowded and grossly unruly but here they don't ride over you! We deboard at Ajmeri Gate and walk our way to the pre-thought shop! Having shopped for the stuff we needed, we take an auto-rickshaw back to our hostel in MNIT. Ram Milan shares with me his worries about choice of stream and concerns like having formed good friendship bonds in present section. Meanwhile a call from Abhishek in Delhi cheers me up as the whole day had passed minus messages or calls from friends. the call ends with me declaring to him a probable visit to Delhi in next week. Later we pass time watching "21", my third time, in Abhinav's room. I and Abhinav visit GT in evening and binge upon some burgers at McD. Buy some chocolates just to suppress the desire of taste of the caffine filled stuff, actually had seem thenm in movie! On way vack I make calls to friends in Bhopal and Mumbai, to feel later the hollowness of my life in the hostel room called "7/13, MNIT". Post dinner a part of me urges me to go to room number 56 while another wishes to go to 58, still another calls for 73 and one more is busy thinking about a special fiend in Girls' Hoste ltwo blocks away. Simultaneously other sections of brain keep on thinking about friendsin Roorkee, Pune, Delhi, Texas, California and more such locations across the globe. And still the brain has rationale to remind me of the mammoth task of completing submissions due on Monday and Tuesday. I try hard, complete 1/6 of my work and move to wash room to find gigantic Himanshu standing shirtless in a towel and washing clothes on this cold winter night. Am quite amazed to hear him ask me for clothes to wash. I come back to my room and scribble whole stuff on paper to take a lot of stuff off my mind and later form it into the blog post. Listen to music on room-mates Pc and fall asleep meanwhile...

Hues, Strife and Adulations.

Image courtesy : Crystlterms before using the image. on Flickr, check usage

It has been pouring hard since last Sunday in this desert state. Quite mismatching the popular belief of some dust clad city Jaipur moreover seems to be a colorful bustling town with climate not differentiating it much from the New Delhi. Coping with pretty distractions all around is a difficult job! They are all around in lecture halls, design studious, stage performances, shopping arcades, newspapers, magazines and even on course books. Dressed in all peculiar stuff they add color and zing to life and sometime even are a cause of tease from fellows. In the meantime the real purpose of ensuing some great technical knowledge seems to take back seat. But what keeps us on toes is constant competition from counterparts and reminders from seniors about the struggle that life is. Anyhow as we try to set the stage flaming, the crunch of resources which we had got together at our houses keeps us from making a headstart. Once we are equipped with all the stuff and make inroads into the social structures of our new environs, making and breaking with people; being straight and not giving up on our terms, we hope to fire and rock the world around or shall I say we aspire and promise ourselves to Rock On! And as far as beauty, you know what, is considered as architecture students we are simply taught to appreciate and admire everything beautiful. Well just a little excuse for some fun time-pass stuff! Trying to maintain two posts a month!

Signing off!

Freshers' Bash

Image courtesy : *Muhammad* on Flickr, check usage terms before using the image.

Well long time since last post! Its the way you find it in India. You are in alien city familiarizing with new ways and your institution's computer center is in the process of renovation and cyber cafe owners' would allow you use the PC without an identity proof, for you may turn out to be a serial bomber who came to city to ruin its peace and chose to disguise as some architecture student. Anyhow a lot to share. Would start with the latest buzz as the older experiences lie in the yellow pages of my rough notebooks! September 02' 2008, freshers' party was organized for us in the central lawns of the college campus. We all turned up well in time, primarily for the purpose of checking out those beautiful girls dressed in all sorts of formal, casual and well good looking attires. And to our pleasure there was a plenty of those, well compared to what we generally hear of engineering institutions situation is quite heartening in MNIT Jaipur. Soon the formal proceedings started with the arrival of dignitaries that included Dean, Director and other highly placed persons . By the time most of us had settled on seats arranged for the purpose, of course late-comers had to stand through the program though they had privilege of dancing to the tunes. By the time the formal speeches were over many of us were feeling great to be the part of this institution and the facilities and opportunities thrown to us. The real rocking show was open once the Director of institution left the place after welcoming the new-comers and ensuring them of a lot of things including safety from ragging, exposure to newer facilities and opportunities and all those formal wordings! The stage performances included dances, solo and group band performances , some stand-alone performances and more such fun stuff which was largely applauded in general. The performances were nice given the positive outlook they couraged to face a crowd of about 1000 and fared very nice. Though some disappointments were there as some tried to catch the light without any performance! The food made the party a hit with hostlers, who are pretty aware of being denied a food good to taste, who cares for the nutrition if taste is not an ingredient. Well the party was over and it is time for something that most dread, the real ragging - after all the director declared that we are no longer starangers to the institute and we should be "interacting" more with our seniors, hmm sorry our "respected boses". While I was enjoying my dinner a fellow asked me to join him to meet the seniors once under the flood lights that sprayed the whole lawns. Well I will I said and I did. As I made my way to meet the seniors, a group of them surrounded me and tried to infuse little fear. But I tried to remain indifferent though a bit confused of what will happen next. One of them joined me and we walked towards hostel talking on topics like my name, place, hobbies. Soon he was to the topic, he wished me top wear formals which I refused to wear once again. His repeated persuasions were not able to change my mind or probably my ego didn't let me give in. Probably it would be killing my self-esteem if I give in and go for formals. May be I am wrong in choice but the road less taken is always full of uncertainties and some unique rewards, slaps or some special privilege! Lets wait and look out for the rewards that come my way but standing stubborn is my way!

Fuccha in Jaipur

Image courtesy : jeffmcneill on Flickr, check usage terms before using the image.

August 07' 2008, The day broke at 8:15. Daily morning routine followed and I tried to achieve 9:00 am deadline, so as to have some free time before 10:00 am morning class. Wanted to check out Orkut scraps, mails and browse the net before the hectic schedule that was going to follow. The hour past more in circumventing the blocked paths and learning more proxy techniques for a more happy net experience in the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jaipur, as we had to plan for the future! The mathematics class was more than enough to disillusion even most determined student and the 11 am English lecture marred the day as grammar is something that I don't like to study and wish English was merely limited to expression and "feeling", and the same goes for any other language also. The lunch break is always short as the 1/2 hour walk to and from hostels eats into the 1 hour break. Worse is that morning's boring classes make me confuse a Thursday for Friday and I follow wrong schedule and end up cutting short a 3 hour basic design session into 2 hour class. The photography lecture of last hour of academic session of the day was fun as I could have a little nap amidst the boring talk a 3rd year senior shared with us, but what proved to be quite interesting was invitation by our photography instructor to join him at a photo exhibit at KK Art Gallery on Prithvi Raj Marg in Jaipur. We were pleased to go out of institute's walls, sort of jail during initial months of the year, at least for the fucchas, for obvious reasons of ragging! Anyhow we binged upon the opportunity and packed into an auto, 9 in 1 and reached the destination, half hour spent admiring or rather finding flaws in the 25-30 odd photographs. While leaving, we were pleased to fill in the guest cum comment book, our attendance for the day! We, a group of 5; 3 boys and 2 girls walked into Crossword, a book. While I and this girl from Pilani were interested in finding something interesting, other 3 tried to make us walk out at the earliest. Out of the showroom we walked across the road into a roadside nook-and-corner restaurant and ordered Chowmein and some fast food along with soft-drinks, not familiar enough to share beer and no experience of the stuff yet! The food was quite fine but the heavy and boring discussions about mass-bunk and nays and ayes following it virtually divided the united class into anti and pro bunk sects. The hopeless discussion made me gulp down a whole 500 ml bottle of Coke, knowing that it contains pesticide it was brave, or may be I was just trying to make a style statement, the Sir-Utha-K-Piyo style! Brushing aside the topic somehow, we grabbed auto back to NIT, 10 in 1 this time, rapid population growth may be at fault! But the compromise saved us bucks at 10 per head it is and OK deal. The evening in hostels passed over calls, SMSs, reading the new novel (...am modifying into a critic!), music on FM and the stuff of the sort!

My apprehensions about life outside Delhi are changing now, it is more of a life out of the cage now, well life on your own! Pros and cons are there but look on the brighter side and you will find pretty girls everywhere (boys for girls!). Just joking, actually such cheesy comments make your writings worth reading and popular! NIT is the place to be, but SPA final application results are still pending... Things are in pipeline, soon it will again be lack or access of resources governing the future course of my ambitions!