My Must Do List

All of us invariably have a list of things that we want to do. Unfortunately as we grow up, we get so entangled in the web of life that we hardly have time for anything. We start leading a mundane life and all our interests/desires take a backseat. We attribute it to lack of time and then the must-do list becomes a wish list. Something like that was happening with me. However I am glad I did not get trapped in it. I have lost out on time and some opportunities, but never mind. I will not let those desires be only desires. I will try and fulfill as many of them as possible. So here goes my list; not a WISH-LIST but a TO-DO List :)

1.  Learn a Foreign Language, preferably French – I think most of us have this desire to learn a foreign language. But how many of us do it? Several of them do enroll for a one year course, but is a year sufficient to have a command over a language? I don't think so. Anyway, I missed out a great opportunity that had come knocking my way. My college, Hans Raj, offered a foreign language course in French and German. I remember getting the form and filling it. However, since the timing for the course was in the afternoon from 3 to 5, friends suggested that it was an odd time and I would be missing out on a lot of fun. Actually we were new to Delhi and the first thing that was there on our minds was to explore the city, roam about, and have fun. So when one of them changed her mind, the other did the same and eventually following the herd mentality I too dropped the idea. Oh how I wish I had made the right decision at that time! Anyway, there is no point regretting. As they say, there is no age for learning. Perhaps I will sometime :)

2.  Play a musical instrument with panache – I have an intense passion for music and a deep fascination for musical instruments. Music, in fact, has such an overwhelming effect on me that I sometimes wonder if I were a musician in my previous birth or had some kind of connection with it. Anyway, I like many instruments but the GUITAR has always lured me the most. I wanted to learn how to play it. And I am so glad that I have finally started with the classes. I could have done this long time back had it not been for my habit of procrastination but the good thing is that I have begun. So far, so good. The teacher also seems to be nice. His fingers move so effortlessly, I just love to watch him play! Someday I too want to be play like him.

3. Travel – Travel is like an investment in oneself; it transforms and changes us. There is so much to learn from travelling. I want to travel around and be amidst the lap of Nature, exploring, indulging and discovering the self. I would love to go to Europe, but there are so many places in India itself that I long to visit – Kerela, Mumbai, Ladakh, Shimla and the entire north-eastern belt. Being in Bengal for so long, I am yet to visit Gangtok. It can’t get worse. Moreover I keep talking about it but do anything. It’s time to stop talking and act! I am seriously going to start in August. Fingers crossed for this one.

4.   Photography – Photography has captured my attention for quite some time now. And there are no barriers except that I need to get a camera. I don’t want to buy any ordinary camera and yet it would not be a very good idea to invest a lot either, because knowing me my interest might just wane once I am in possession of it. Things look attractive only till the time they elude you. At least this happens with me a lot. So I want to start with something in the mid range and I am saving for it. Once I buy one, the escapade will kick start. Only hoping it is not too late!

5.  Write – I want to write more. I want to move on from narrative accounts to some serious writing. Nicky wrote a post on The Existential Dilemma. I was writing a comment and then realized it was turning more into a post itself. Maybe I can begin with that itself. Existentialism and it’s variants of any kind have always enthralled me. So it would be a good topic I suppose :P

This is not all. This is definitely not an exhaustive list. There must be some other things that can make this list, but this is all that I am reminded of currently. I, however, do not want to wait in the hope of remembering some more and extending this list. There can always be an addition later. 

To Sir, With Love (On His Birthday)

It is Sumit’s birthday today. He is the Centre Manager of IMS Siliguri and also teaches Maths & DI. We gave him an awesome surprise party. I am extremely rapturous that it all happened as we had planned save few minute glitches here and there. But the celebration was a huge success – a Birthday Bash indeed and I am overjoyed. The aim was to completely take him by surprise and we managed to do that in grand style. The look on his face when he entered IMS was priceless. He just had no clue :)

Sumit when he entered. He was clueless and had no idea
A SUCCESSFUL SURPRISE :)

The event was conceptualized, planned and executed in just three days. The idea of a surprise party struck me on Saturday night. Despite knowing him for more than two years, I had not once wished him on his birthday. He is generally reserved when it comes to such stuff. So when I realized that it was his birthday on 4th, I decided to do something this time.

I discussed the idea with the students of my MBA batch on Sunday. As expected, all were excited. We tried talking about it in the class in hushed tones, but since he was sitting right outside, chances were high that we would be overheard. I suggested we talk about it somewhere out hence after the class we resumed our discussion outside IMS. However, if Sumit would come out and spot us all together, he would sense something was up. We had to make a move from there too. The best option seemed to be CCD. There we went and there started the real planning! What started as a small discussion took the shape of a proper event planning and management involving about score students.

Meeting at CCD each time would not be possible. It would be a costly affair too, I realized ;) So I decided to have the meetings at my place. It would be convenient for all. And we had elaborate meetings at my place for three days in a row. The students were so enthusiastic – it was so wonderful to see everyone so upbeat and charged up. There was a lot of detailing in everything possible.

I wanted to do something different, something big, involving the present batches and the ex-students. I tried and thought of all those small things that could go a long way in making him feel special. I wanted to connect with those ex-students who were close to him. I did not know them all, but created a secret Facebook group to reach out to them. I eventually managed to get in touch with a couple of them and they sent their best wishes which were shared through a presentation.

The card, I knew had to be something creative and hand-made. It would have been very easy to purchase a card and give it to him. But nothing beats a hand-made card. A personalized touch makes a big difference. So we finalized the idea of a custom-made card with the signatures of all the students. The card responsibility was given to Shinam and Ishita and they did a wonderful job of it. Just the selection of the hand-made paper had taken time. There was a good discussion on the colour. Shinam wanted pink and the boys were of the view that pink is a girly colour and thus he would not like it. But Shinam had set her mind on it. I let her go ahead as eventually she was the one who would be making it. And I was not wrong. What a lovely card it turned out to be! When we presented it to him, he said it was one of the best gifts he had ever received :) A readymade card would never have that effect.

Shinam & Ishita presenting the card to the "Birthday Boy" :)

Similarly venue and food also made for a great deal of discussion. I wanted the venue to be IMS itself as that was the place that connected the students to him. Plus IMS would have a homely feeling, a place which everyone knew and would thus be comfortable in. Our food menu changed so many times, it’s not funny. We deliberated on so many things, pizza from Dominos to start with. Here also we explored the option of Pizza Mania as well as large size pizzas on a sharing basis. But Dominos would never be in our budget so the idea was dropped. Next we thought of something in Chinese. But these did not seem to click. The last option was snacks and Mitra and Chinmoy Da also suggested we order snacks packet from somewhere. That would be within our budget and hassle free too – no tension to serve, no plates required. So we went ahead with it! I think the only thing where we had no problem was the cake. I had made up my mind that we would not compromise on the cake. We would order it from Victoria Junction. The cake was very yum and all appreciated it.

The Lip-smacking cake from Victoria Junction :)

The decorations were also very nice. That was something challenging. We had to get it all done when Sumit was away for lunch. We only had about 45 mins. Everyone pitched in to help. And the result was awesome. I especially loved the balloons. The idea was Natasha's. She said it looked very cute. At one point, we were thinking of getting gas balloons instead. I am so glad we went ahead with this. Not just the balloons; every thing looked good.

The most difficult and fatiguing part was planning the games. I was most worried about it. I knew that for the party to get going, we had to have quality games. I did have something in mind but the execution was a humongous task. The idea was to have games from AXN’s “Minute to Win It”. Games selection was the first challenge as there were hundreds to choose from. I selected some, mainly those for which we did not have to buy anything. After that there was great debate if those were doable or not. We had to try every game and ensure that it could be done. Some were difficult and needed modifications. We had suggestions from everyone and then tried all the options. Eventually we finalized the one that seemed to be the best. But what fun it was! Abhimanyu was a champion in most of the trials. Balancing the golf balls had become a child’s play for him. It was great fun to see the guys try all possible ways to attempt “Bite Me”. But all of it was worth it. The games were the highlight of the party. Everyone applauded out efforts and said that games were unusual and enjoyable.

Ishita playing "Don't Blow The Joker" - She was the final winner also :) 

Rameez trying to get his shot right while playing "Home Golf"

I am glad that the event today was a huge success. But I am also missing a lot of things. The main event was fun, no doubt. But the meetings were equally delightful. More maybe! These meetings were definitely the high point of the event. Right now my room looks so empty. For three days there was so much activity happening right here. To add to it, Nupur too had come to stay for those three days. She did come at a time when I was most busy and had not time to talk or discuss anything else. So all we mulled over was THE PARTY. Thus basically the discussion for the party extended even after the students had left, till about 2 at night.

The empty MAZAA bottle reminds me of the lightening speed at which the bottle was opened and its content was gulped down by all. Actually I have to thank Sandeep for this. I don’t drink other cold drinks but Mazaa used to be a favourite, especially during college time. Yashi and I were gripped by ‘Mazaa Mania’ and we used to savor it daily during the exam preparations. (Reminiscing those days when we used to study in the college library for almost eight to ten hours daily. They were such memorable times. I should write about them too, sometime soon). Coming back to the topic, despite loving it so much I had completely forgotten about it. But yesterday when I saw the bottle and Sandeep’s fervor to gulp it down entirely bottle, I was reminded of it again. The sheets of paper lying everywhere – in the drawers, on the table, inside my bag, on the carpet – ring a bell suggesting the amount of planning we had been doing to make the event a grand success, which we eventually did. The golf balls remind me of the time and energy spent in preparing for the games. The time spent in planning the surprise was definitely memorable! Everyone involved with it would definitely agree with me. 

Finally, I would say that this was all possible because of the students. Had they not been so enthusiastic and supportive the event would never have shaped up like this. And yes a special thanks to the people who helped me organize and coordinate the entire event. We have a box full of memories that will be cherished always :)

A group snap, Finally :)

Dreams are realized :)

I do not want to lose the momentum that I have got after a long time. Also I’m not going to spend ages thinking about the topic. Actually that used to happen when I used to write selectively. But now that I have decided to write frequently, this should not be a problem. So here comes the next one. 

I want to talk about the phenomenal results that we’ve had at IMS this year. To begin with, here is the news. Neha has converted IIM-B and IIM-L. She was my student and it is so satisfying to know that one of your students has realised her dreams and got admission in one of the most prestigious and sought after B schools in India. Then there is Vidushi who has converted IIM-L and Saurav who has made it to XLRI. These two were in other batches so I don’t know them as such, but it still does feel good that we’ve had such good results. More than that, it is a reassurance that students from small towns too can make it. I never had a doubt about this; it’s for most of the aspirants here who are perpetually cynical and harbour such thoughts. So Kudos to IMS Siliguri and Kudos to Sumit!! :) 

I am reminded of something. I’ve seen the mad rush of people wanting a share of the limelight when the results are out. Everyone remotely associated with the candidate claims that he/she had a hand in contributing to the candidate’s success in one way or the other. Top on the list are the various coaching institutes that come out with data a propos their success rates, each vouching that it has had the BEST results. They were and are NUMERO UNO. Next are the neighbours and relatives who can’t stop talking about how they always knew that he/she had that spark and would definitely make a mark one day. Then friends! The list goes on... 

Now, I do not want to sound like any one of them ;) The reason why I want awareness about this is that it should help in changing the mindset of the people here – parents, teachers and aspirants alike. I always keep telling my students that it is a lot about the ATTITUDE. That’s the first thing they need to have – a POSITIVE ATTITUDE. It is, in fact, a pre-requisite. Students here, on the contrary, have various misconceptions.

• It is not possible for students from a small town like Siliguri to make it to IIMs. Forget about getting there it is not for us to think about it too
• We have never had IIM calls so far. If the previous batches have not been able to do it, then how can we? What is so special about us?
• The commerce students feel that CAT is not their cup of tea. It is a thing for the engineers only. We don’t stand a chance. The worst part here is that they are supported by their teachers. In fact I know of some colleges where the teachers tell the students that they will never be able to do it and hence drop it. How pathetic is that!

There has been a change in the last two years, no doubt. But that is just in a few students. I hope this changes. I do seriously hope that candidates realize that IIMs are within their reach but only if they have that ATTITUDE and that desperation. I hope this invigorates my current batch students and fills them with lots of positive energy :)

So dream on guys! It could just be you next year :)

Naughty Nupur - Part II

There had to be a part two for this post as I wanted to write about some more things. These are basically some memories that Nupur and I have shared. It's not possible to write down all, but just some of them are mentioned here: The first one definitely has to be my birthday cake. We had just a week ago and I had mentioned that I was really crazy about my birthday. But that year, in 2009, there happened to be a strike on 11th and I was already feeling low about it. So on 10th August around 10 pm the door bell rang. It was the delivery boy from Victoria Junction. Poor guy! He had been roaming around with that cake for more than an hour. The reason – incorrect address! Instead of mentioning Silverline Hotel, you’d given the address as opposite Tourist Lodge, which happens to be in Kurseong. How on earth was he supposed to find it? He finally did, with a lot of asking around. Now I was curious who had sent it. The first one was from Appu, and I’d pretty much guessed this one was from you. I asked the delivery boy but he did not have much to tell me. Only he gave me that paper where you’d written down the address. Do you remember what happened the next day? We’d gone to Victoria in the evening and that guy sees us there and tells me “Cake inhone ne hi order kiya tha”.

Next up are our Saturday hangouts at CCD and of course the rain that accompanied every week. Well you mentioned in your comment in the earlier post that I had missed out on the rain. No sweetie. How could I have? It’s just that I had this idea of a next post and had saved it for here. So, what days they were! And what rain too! Every Saturday we used to meet and then it used to rain, and rain heavily. Remember how we once got stuck in Cosmos for a real long time. Then finally we left. We had no umbrellas and there was no luck in getting the autos. So we were just walking. We were so totally drenched. But what fun it was! That time it was a protocol that if we met up, it had to rain. We used to so look forward to it. But seriously those were fun days. All we would do is chat chat chat, and chat nonstop, about anything and everything. It’s so different now. We are always talking about serious stuff. We should do something like those days sometime soon. What say? No serious talks, no tension – just let loose and enjoy!

There are various other things – the morning walks, the coffes, the movies, the night stays, shopping, talking and so much more. Like I said it’s been good. I don’t remember of a time when we have had a disagreement, forget about a fight. Touchwood! No, but seriously, this is commendable. Guess we just have the same wavelength and get along well. And now that I see time running out, I want to make the most of the days that you are here. We should meet often now :)

Naughty Nupur :)

A day in the first week of August 2009 it was. I was speaking to this friend of mine. My parents were out of station and I had lots of free time with nothing much to do. I was sort of bored. I happened to mention this to that friend and he immediately said that he had a friend in Siliguri, from Guwahati, who too stayed alone and did not know too many people here. He told me she was an RJ with Misty. The moment he mentioned her name, I asked him, “Naughty Nupur”? He sounded excited and enquired if I knew her or followed her show or something. No, I told him. I must have heard it on the radio sometime while switching channels. He asked me if I would like to speak to her. I said I had no issues. Normally I would not have been keen on knowing a friend’s friend. Definitely not someone I had never met. But I so readily agreed to speak to Nupur. Maybe we were destined to meet!

Ok jokes apart, we were talking about it and then I had to hang up for a while as I had to go to the kitchen. I was making pasta that day, I so vividly remember. We resumed our conversation in sometime. It was one of those ‘catching-up’ days when you’re speaking to a long lost friend after ages and so obviously have lots to talk about. At that time there was a call waiting, but even before I could check the number the line got disconnected. He asked me what number it was. Why would he be bothered, I wondered! He seemed to have read my mind and told me that it could be Nupur. What!! I was taken aback because that was real quick. He had just mentioned her some ten minutes ago. She couldn’t be calling so soon. Well, this would have been my reaction under normal circumstances. But that day I did not find anything strange about it. Maybe it was because things were happening in such quick succession or like I said earlier, it was destiny. Anyway, we checked the number and it was her. He hung up and said she would perhaps try again. She did, soon and we spoke for the first time. It was a short and nice conversation. So that was how we both were introduced, over the phone. So when did we meet next? Well that same night. Yes! Something must have really clicked between us because it was not a usual meet at a coffee shop or something. She came for a stay-over at my place. Like I mentioned earlier, it just happened so suddenly. In fact our common friend too was surprised. He said he had expected us to gel well, but not so instantly that she was staying over at my place that same night. Well the rest as they say is history.

I’ve now known her for almost two years and it’s been so much fun. Nupur is a sweetheart. She is extremely lively and absolutely fun-loving; we’ve had some crazy moments together. She is full of positive vibes and is the right person to meet when you are low. She passes on that energy to you and lifts your spirits up. She has so much of energy and can talk non-stop. Yes she speaks a lot, and why not. She gets paid to do that, so she better talk, and talk a great deal. In fact she gets so carried away when she is talking, she doesn’t realize when she gets loud. Especially, if it is a closed space, like a coffee shop, I always have to gesture her to be softer. I love the way she has a twinkle in her eyes at that time. She is someone with a pure heart, who doesn’t know any pretence whatsoever. This is what I love about her the most and this is why I can be totally myself with her. It is so just relaxing to be in her company. Today, she is my only friend in Siliguri but I’ve never really felt the need of having more friends with her around. I am so thankful that I met her. I’m saying this not because everyone says this about his/her friend. It is because I’ve realized something. It’s easy to meet thousands of people, befriend dozens and be good friends with some of them. But even out of these, it is just a few people who come into your life and make a difference. They teach you many things and you form a great bond with them. Life moves on and so might they, but then will have left an indelible mark in your life. Nupur has already left this mark :)

You will soon be going away and I am going to miss you a great deal, not because I am going to be very lonely (which I will be) but because I really love spending time with you. I cherish the moments spent with you. I’m going to miss spending time with you. In fact I think I’ve begun missing you already! I love you :)

We miss you, Nicky

I really miss Nicky, my best friend, and I'm sure my blog misses her equally. She always encouraged me to write and was more enthusiastic about it than me. I remember her calling me up very excitedly and informing me that she had found a lovely template for the blog. Yes, I never had to work on its look and style. She was more concerned about it and took great care to update it from time to time. She had that enthusiasm of a small kid who looks at every new thing with great thrill, keen to discover it and know more about it. And it was she who kept me going.

But she is now busy with her marital life and I too lost whatever little interest that I had (for various reasons). The result - my blog just looks so dry! There have been no comments for the last two blog posts. Call me a kid, but yes I used to be very excited about the comments, eagerly waiting. It is quite a paradox because very few people had the link. But this never quite bothered me, because Nicky made up for it mostly. Then of course, there were select others who mattered to me. They too were supportive in their own ways. Some expressed it via comments on the posts itself or through email and chats. Then there were the silent supporters who never said anything but I knew that every post was being read by them.

Anyway I have decided to be active and write regularly. This resolution has come many a times before but this time I am really going to stick to it. So comments or no comments, I am going to write.

Nicky was forever worried that I kept too many things to myself and never spoke about them. Thus she constantly encouraged me to write. She always desired that I use this as an outlet for expressing my thoughts, desires, frustrations, grievances, and memories – basically everything. Well so far it was more of recounting past experiences, but I now want to write about my present thoughts too. It’s not that I do not write them, but they are mostly lying in the drafts. But now, enough of hiding them in the closet!

Nicky I want you to read this and I know you will. You just have to know that I am back at it, and I am sure that no matter what, you will take out time to read it and loyally comment on every single post. Well, both my blog and I am looking forward to it.

Just Like That :)

My friend Nupur had stayed over for the night a couple of days ago and I happened to mention my blog to her. She told me she had never seen it. That came as a surprise to me because we’ve been friends (good friends that too) for almost two years now and I usually share my blog link with close pals! So I asked her if she wanted to go through it. She readily agreed.

We both started reading. I was simultaneously updating her about the various incidents that were penned down there. We were both having a good time – me, recounting and re-living those memorable incidents and she listening to them with the usual sparkle in her eyes :)

Reading some posts, especially those about Nicky and Joyeeta, took us a good half an hour, or even more perhaps. And why not? They are two people which whom I’ve had a whole lot of fun and countless treasured moments. It was then that I realized two things. Firstly, my blog is mostly in the narrative form. It is either a recount of my experiences with various people or a record of situations/events. Perhaps this is why some friends compliment me for my writing style and suggest that I should try my hands at writing a novel. Secondly, and more importantly, my blog has no mention of this very dear friend, who was sitting right beside me at that time. Maybe it is because from the time I’ve known her, I’ve not maintained my blog. Thus there is no mention of her or our friendship. But whatever be the case, it was there at that moment, that I realized that my next post had to be about her. She has been an important part of my life for quite some time now and I would love to talk about our escapades and the friendship that we share. I had begun writing about Music, something again that is very dear to me, but that has been sidelined for the time being. So Nupur, you will soon have a post dedicated to you :)

Teaching

There could not have been a better topic to start my second innings of blogging with. Today, teaching is my passion. I totally love it. However this happened accidentally.

I was going through this phase of life wherein I was dissatisfied with my work. There were a lot of things that I did not like about it and was thus looking for a change. I wanted to get away from PR itself but did not know what to do next. A lot of people suggested I take CAT but I was skeptical. I was never inclined towards MBA from the very beginning. When we were in final year of college, my friend/roommate Nisha advised that I should give it a try. She said a lot of English Hons students too appeared for it. But I wasn’t in the least interested. But who knew that some years down the line, I would be so closely related to this industry.

Ok, so I was in a dilemma and did not know what I wanted to do. It was THE discussion regarding MBA, with my cousin Apurva in Green Park CCD that made me seriously ponder over it. I decided to take the plunge. I joined IMS in Delhi and started with the preparations. However I was still shuttling between office and studies, and that wasn’t easy. I was messing up both and so had to take a call. I chose to quit work and came home for preparations. Time was limited as there was barely a month and a half to go. But I decided to give it my best. I took a transfer to IMS Siliguri. I got a lot of help there, but that wasn’t enough. Maths was a serious problem. Not that I did not have the basics in place. But time was too short. Anyway, I appeared for the exams but did not get through. The reason being I only had the top ten B-schools in mind. After having a MA degree it would have been pointless to join a second-rung B-school.

It was sometime in February when all the results were out and I knew I had not made it anywhere. I wasn’t disappointed though. I remember having a discussion with Sumit, who is the centre manager at IMS Siliguri. I told him I wasn’t in the mood to get back to the corporate world. He then asked me why I was even appearing for those B-schools exams as that’s where I would have to get back to after an MBA. Anyway it was sometime then that I got a call from Sumit asking me to see him. I went one day, and he asked me, generally, what my plans for the future were. I told him I had not decided anything as yet. It was then that he asked me if I were interested in teaching English at IMS. Huh! That was like a bombshell being dropped. I laughed it off and told him I had not in my weirdest moments thought about taking up teaching. He suggested I give it a try. I was still apprehensive so he asked me to think over it.

I came home and shared the news with a couple of close friends. They suggested I try it. I had nothing to lose after all. I wasn’t too keen on it but then the thought of coaching CAT aspirants sounded good. Only, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to. Having good command over English is one thing, teaching it in a class, that too CAT level, is quite another. But after some deliberation and discussion I decided to take the plunge. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today when I look back I feel glad I took that decision. I am totally into it now. Like I said, it has become a passion. It feels good to enrich and nurture minds. Moreover as they say, teaching is indeed a noble profession. Initially I used to be so overwhelmed by the respect I used to get from my students. In fact I was just not accustomed to it. I used to compare it with the corporate world all the time, where politics, abuses, manipulation and mind-games were an integral part of the job. Contrary to that, there was so much respect and courtesy here. There are many more things I like about teaching. More on that and about my students in the next post.

Back :)

It really seems like eternity – cant believe it's been more than a YEAR since I wrote my last blog post. I now realize that I have been so away from the world of writing. All this time, I used to hear about MY BLOG from the handful friends who have the link. Some of them had been urging that I start writing again. I was thinking of getting back to it but was still dilly dallying about the whole thing. In fact, I wasn't charged or geared up to write something today either. But then I happened to casually visit my own blog, more like a stranger, and the date of the last post almost shocked me. I still can't believe it's been that long. So I decided I HAD TO JUST WRITE something and break the hiatus.

So this is it, for a start. I am back (with a bang I hope)...

Cheers :)