Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Ride Back Home--the story of an NSITian by an NSITian

The Ride Back Home PDF
Written by Perseus Patrawala

Just going back home the other day, i was contempating and pondering over the 4 years I have spent not only in college, but in the daily travels (or shud i say travails) to and from this institute...

Just going back home the other day, i was contempating and pondering over the 4 years I have spent not only in college, but in the daily travels (or shud i say travails) to and from this institute.

I know it seems a pretty odd topic to converse or even think upon. But really, it does form one of the most integral part of a students life.

When i hear my dear hostler riends cribbing over the horrendous 10-minute walk they to make from their rooms to the canteen or admin, (obviously not thte college ; you dont think students come here to study now, seriously, do u? ) I kind of feel just about raving mad to smash their faces. Common sense prevails, and i hold back, bcos exams are near, and notes have to b arranged frm the hostlers laugh.gif

Do they realize, some dayskies have to bear the sweltring heat, a 1 1/2 hr standing ride alongwwith all the pushing and shoving, only to come and find an empty college.

Anyways, not digressing away from what i started off, lets begin at the beginning. 30-40% of the colg students are hostlers. Of the remaining, another 35-45% have their own mode of conveyance, be it bikes or car pools. What a about the rest - yes - one and only - BUSES.

There are only 2 routes from NSIT - 817 and 764. These 2 buses, rather routes, will generally take u to where u wish to go, cos as they say - \"sab raaste bhagwaan ke paas hi to jaate hain\". Since i personally travel by the 817 \"route\", my personal reminiscences lie from that domain expertise.

So, whn colg gets over, after saying all ur tatas and bye byes, you trudge desolately from the admin to the main gate. Standing out there, you wait for a noble soul to give u a lift till Kakrola (or evn further). Obviously, beggars cant be choosers. So anything and evrything goes - from a Skoda, to a Pulsar, a van, tempo, tractor ..... even from a bullock cart. Most generally a khataara scooter will be ur saviour. By the time u crawl along along at a snail's pace to Kakrola, half of Dwarka has zipped past, and is staring and oggling at you.

The best lift we have had is frm an army bus. One wednesday afternoon, whn all colg gets ovr simultaneously at 3:30, one of my friends managed to \"hold up\" an army vehicle. The driver kept seeing the number of students (about 40 in the least) getting onboard the vehicle. It was truly amazing.

Nonetheless, u finally reach NSIT's paradise and most happening touring spot. Just like Bangalore's MG road, where u will recognize 80% of the ppl as ur colg acquaintences (thats another story), Kakrolla also offers u a chance to catch up with friends, while u wait for ur DTC. Ah! DTC - the lifeline - the immense pleasure of saying \"PASS HAI\".

Some people get impatient after waiting for 35 minutes for a DTC. So then u take a RTV, in the hope of reaching home quickly. But as soon u pay the guy the 2 Rs/- fare, u find a DTC whizzing past you, and all ur friends smuggly sitting in it. You think its been a bad day.

But wait - the worse is yet to come ...

After a 30-35 minutes of trvelling misery, you get to Uttam Nagar, with all bones dislocated, and ur head in a swirl. Now u r eager to catch ur nxt prey, oops, i meant the DTC bus. Life or Death, it hardly matters. You cut across the swarm of traffic like an expert pro. One hand movement and u expect the cars to slow down - just bcos u said so. Next is the 100m dash to get onboard the bus, which most definetely leave the bus stop before u can arrive there. Most of us would emulate even Jesse Owens, who beat a race horse in sprinting.

Now that ur in the bus (God knows which - as long as it takes u near to ur final destination), u try to find a seat where u can sit and sleep off the tireness u have accumulated over a rigorous day in colg - organizing mass bunks, playing TT and baski, persuading friends to give u treats for no reson whatsoevr.

But before all this, u must indulge in something called \"haggling\" - a term used to describe your bargaining with the conductor over the bus ticket. You never buy a 10 Rs ticket - always a 5 or 7/-. The 3 bucks saved can go into drinking a bunta in the canteen the nxt day.

Then, if ur lucky, u'll get an empty seat nxt to some uncleji. If not, yet another hour will be wasted standing in the middle of the stampede, with ur upper torso being jolted in a diametrically opposite direction from ur legs. Worse, never sit on a ladies seat, unless theres a cool looking chic besides. And Murphy's Law will follow you soon. The moment u sit, some auntyji will apparate out of sheer nothingness, like from some other space dimension, and ask u to vacate the seat - irrespective of whether u r carrying 1/2 a ton worth of books, registers, ED apparatus etc etc.

And if u do get he seat, and sleep off - just follow a couple of precautions. The guy nxt to u will let u keep ur head on his shoulders, only till u dont start drooling and dropping saliva on his shoulders. After that it cud nasty.

Secondly, remember where u have to get off. One of my dreams has been to visit the metro station and enjoy a ride. Well, once it almost got fulfilled. I slept soundly, and by the time i woke up, i saw strange and unfamiliar buildings passing thry. My misery was compounded, when the conductor told me i was about to reach the metro station. I quickly got off and came back to my \"intended\" bus stop, a 3/4 hr ride probably.

I was still groggy and very sleepy. In the confusion, i tried crossing the main road on a green signal, only to be bumped by a speeding motorbike I never saw coming. It wasnt so scary apart from a swollen leg and a near crushing by the blue line bus, that just stopped with screeching brakes an inch away from us.

But looking at the brighter side, some good uncle gave me a drop back till home, seeing my condition - and u know wht - that was 2 Rs saved frm yet another bus ride (this time it wud have been my final one) green.gif

And so as the engineering joke goes - Alcohol and Calculus dont mix - Never drink and derive.


The above scribbling of mine typically describes a single day of travelling back to our abodes. Imagine spending 4 years doing this. Also take into account the fact that for the 1st 3 sems, the Uttam ngr-kakrolla route was closed - so we had to take the long way back.

Looks like i have travelled immensely in these buses and probably tried and tested 9-10 different routes for getting back home, sometimes evn going half way to gurgaon, or evn in a 764 to IIT (which is in completely ooposite direction to my home) to accompany some \"friends\" enroute (if u ppl get the drift :wink: ). No wonder the buses are a third home for us, considering we spend 4 hrs travelling in them daily.

But its been a hell of a 4 fun years in the \"buses\". And the excitement and incidents will definetely be missed.

However the best route/journey I have encountered so far is :

Friend + car + \"thoda sa bahaana\" + \"bahut saara maska\" = lift back till home

Perseus Patrawala

COE (Class of 2005)

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Parents

THE QURAN says (Al-Asrar-23), "You must obey and respect your parents and when one or both are old, don't say anything improper to them, but help them and speak to them politely with absolute , respect and regard." Like so many old parents, mine too complain that I have little time for them. For a long time, I shrugged off these complaints, feeling certain they couldn't understand the rush of modern life. Selfish though it sounds, I thought things like accompanying them to the doctor or stopping for a cup of coffee were enough to make them understand that I cared for them and their world. However, one day I discovered more.

It was one of those unusual days when I paused to take a breather on the sunny balcony There in the . sun was an old style woven bed, with my mother's favourite magazine and pillow on it. It was one those women's magazines that I remembered she used to read when I was a child. I suddenly visualised her falling asleep in the sun, white haired and frail, with the magazine in her hand. I decided to seek out more old books from her precious collection and went to the storeroom.

How surprised I was to see in its dim interiors, not junk but things that I had myself forgotten! There was a large portrait of a pretty smiling baby that my mother had hung in her room when I was about to be born. There was my little suitcase that reminded me of my first job, my old shoes, books, bags and even decorative pieces that I had presented my parents on numerous anniversaries and birthdays. The whole collection whispered of my presence.

It dawned on me then how precious these memories were to my parents. Though their little ones had flown away they lived with cher , ished moments of our childhood. In contrast, how much did I think of them? I hope to deal better with my emotional responsibility now.

innervoice@hindustantimes.com

The Ultimate Rejection Letter

The Ultimate Rejection Letter


Herbert A. Millington
Chair - Search Committee
412A Clarkson Hall, Whitson University
College Hill, MA 34109

Dear Professor Millington,

Thank you for your letter of March 16. After careful consideration, I
regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me
an assistant professor position in your department.

This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually
large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field
of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.

Despite Whitson's outstanding qualifications and previous experience in
rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at
this time. Therefore, I will assume the position of assistant professor
in your department this August. I look forward to seeing you then.

Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.

Sincerely,
Chris L. Jensen

American Gangster........just watch it

Move over the Italian families,the dreaded Sicilians,move over Don Corleone.......................here comes the black who wins all the applause just as he enters the arena........

Denzel Washington starrer American Gangster is a hit ,,go enjoy the serious fun.

For the starter's sake Denzel plays the first blcak american to get a hold of the drug business in the 1970s..his journey .the problems along , his cool attitude just won me over..


KUDOS!!!!!!!!!

valentine's day ....shit

Kill the cupid


Okay, first things first - My last post was neither funny nor enlightening. But guess what! I don't give a sh*it.

Now, if you are an ugly bi*tch with low self esteem and no real friends who relies on movies like Jab We Met and 'occasions' like Valentine's Day to get some hope for love in your pathetic existence that you call your life, then stop reading right now.

I hate Valentine's Day. I hate everything about this bloody month starting from rose day to slap day to whatever ... So while all the 'happy' people will be out hugging, kissing and exchanging heart shaped balloons on the V day, I'd be sitting at home killing aliens or destroying civilisations on my PC.

Why do you call it Valentine's Day anyway? You morons should call it the Archies day! Just some bullshit propagated by the media to make you buy a pile of sh*it for someone who supposedly love. I know you wanna get to make out with your chick and you gotta give her gifts for that sh*it but you can do it any friggin' day of the year you morons. I once saw this kewl dewd buying all this crap for some stupid bi*tch and she went like ''Ooooooohhh!! How romantic'' and then they started making out in front of everyone. I'd have kicked his as*s but I was too busy taping the bullshit to upload it on the internet.

And 'hopeless romantics' should be killed. Not just killed, but mutilated. They are not hopelessly romantic they are just hopeless and yet somehow I find them everywhere I look. It’s because of those dickheads why Jab We Met grossed whatever it grossed at the box office.

Now, I don't hate Valentine's because no girl would ever go out with me (though that doesn't help biggrin.gif) But the damn advertising and publicity! I'd rather hang around with the Shiv Sainiks to beat the sh*it out of those mushy idiots at malls and parks. Also, I hate cupids, I see their pictures everywhere smiling down on me - judging me with those small cold eyes. It keeps me up at times, the more I think about it - the more I realise its not the cupids I hate, its you shitheads who buy all this crap. Die, motherfuc*kers.


PS 1 - I started writing when the score was 49 for 6 wickets and now they’ve been bowled out for 74. So, yeah I am pissed.

PS 2 - If you think that I can't take criticism then I think you are ugly. tongue.gif

'Nuff said.

Valentine's day

Kill the cupid


Okay, first things first - My last post was neither funny nor enlightening. But guess what! I don't give a sh*it.

Now, if you are an ugly bi*tch with low self esteem and no real friends who relies on movies like Jab We Met and 'occasions' like Valentine's Day to get some hope for love in your pathetic existence that you call your life, then stop reading right now.

I hate Valentine's Day. I hate everything about this bloody month starting from rose day to slap day to whatever ... So while all the 'happy' people will be out hugging, kissing and exchanging heart shaped balloons on the V day, I'd be sitting at home killing aliens or destroying civilisations on my PC.

Why do you call it Valentine's Day anyway? You morons should call it the Archies day! Just some bullshit propagated by the media to make you buy a pile of sh*it for someone who supposedly love. I know you wanna get to make out with your chick and you gotta give her gifts for that sh*it but you can do it any friggin' day of the year you morons. I once saw this kewl dewd buying all this crap for some stupid bi*tch and she went like ''Ooooooohhh!! How romantic'' and then they started making out in front of everyone. I'd have kicked his as*s but I was too busy taping the bullshit to upload it on the internet.

And 'hopeless romantics' should be killed. Not just killed, but mutilated. They are not hopelessly romantic they are just hopeless and yet somehow I find them everywhere I look. It’s because of those dickheads why Jab We Met grossed whatever it grossed at the box office.

Now, I don't hate Valentine's because no girl would ever go out with me (though that doesn't help biggrin.gif) But the damn advertising and publicity! I'd rather hang around with the Shiv Sainiks to beat the sh*it out of those mushy idiots at malls and parks. Also, I hate cupids, I see their pictures everywhere smiling down on me - judging me with those small cold eyes. It keeps me up at times, the more I think about it - the more I realise its not the cupids I hate, its you shitheads who buy all this crap. Die, motherfuc*kers.


PS 1 - I started writing when the score was 49 for 6 wickets and now they’ve been bowled out for 74. So, yeah I am pissed.

PS 2 - If you think that I can't take criticism then I think you are ugly. tongue.gif

lil master