Time for Tags

Welll.....in the last few months, I’ve been tagged many times but didn’t do.…sorry for that… Now, I thought I must….was tagged by Divya last week, followed by Priya a couple of days back…Phew !!!….an hour back by Express….aaaaaaand Thank God Divya’s and Express’s were one and the same….I’m a relieved man…so all the 3 tags done at one stroke !!!! Yippeee!!! Yipee!!!

Divya’s Tag ( = Express )
The rules:
1. Put Your iTunes/ music player on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG DOWN NO MATTER WHAT!!!
After you've answered all of the questions, tag other people and then let them know they've been tagged to do the meme themselves.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Saiyaan (U Me Aur Hum)

WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
My Name is Billa (Billa 2007)…Wow!!! What a co-incidence…well I hate Ajit but a Rajni fan…wish it was Billa 1981… :D

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL ?
Marudhaani (Sakarakatti)…wow!!!! Great…great…just great… well…for non-tamilians Marudhaani is Mehandi…though I hate Mehandi…the answer was relevant…hee…hee

WHAT DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Raja Ko Rani Se (Akele Hum akele Tum)..well…No Rani for me..

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Anbe En Anbe( Dhaam Dhoom)…well for non-tamilians Anbe means Love/affection and En means My…Anbe En Anbe means My Love…my life’s purpose is not to fall in love…lollzzzz

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Teri Ore(Singh is Kinnng)…is it????..well…this song is my most favorite song these days…wow !!! What a song !!! Shreya….where are u??? I’ll fall at your feet… Her Highness Ms.Shreya Ghoshal !!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Ek Pal Ke Liye(Ankahee)…hee…hee…what am I to say???

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Pehla Nasha( Jo Jeeta….) Hee…heee

WHAT IS 2+2?
Sahana Saaral (Sivaji)...hee...heee...is it???

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi….lollzzz….sound nice na????

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Kahin To Hoga Hai (Again Jaane Tu)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Shape Of My Heart (BSB)….I’ve never fallen in love…so not the right answer but I’ve lot more years to live right???? so maybe…….heee…heee…

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
New York Nagaram (Sillunu Oru Kaadhal)…for non-tamilians Nagaram means City…well I would like to live at New York but not really keen on leaving India. Let's wait and watch !!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Tu Mera Hai (Ada-A Way of life)…wow!!! That was apt…hee…heee...infact this is one of my favorite songs...Sukhwinder Singh roccczzz...Chitra is wow!!!

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Chale Chalo (Lagaan)…well kinda ok…or rather they motivate me…lollzzz

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Kal Ho Na Ho (OMG!!!!!)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom….hee…hee….just imagine ?!?!?! :) :)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Baatein Hawa Hai ( Thank God…a Shreya Ghoshal song…listening to her songs is my hobby/interest)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Mere Dholna(Bhool Bhulaiyya)…wow!!! Great…again a Shreya number…well…gotta ask the secret behind her singing talent…lollzzz

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Everybody (BSB)…well…hee…hee…Everybody is my friend…

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
Jaati Hoon Main (Karan Arjun)…ha..hee..should I???

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS TAG?
Rani ( Haal-E-Dil)….this is one of Sonu’s best song…glad it ended up atleast as the last track….

Loved doing the tag..some answers were sorta interesting and funny…thanks for tagging me Divya and Express.
Express in her blog had called me a Shreya Ghoshal maniac and I’m glad (she must be glad too) to find many Shreya songs here….SHREYA!!!! U rock!!!!

Priya’s Tag

My oldest memory
I played cricket in my house with my cousins and neighbours on sunny summer afternoons….despite the mercury soaring at 42 degrees, I was so invovlved that I used to play on and on....hee..hee...that's ME

10 years ago
I was making fun of my middle school teachers…every teacher was given the same treatment and no respite whatsoever. Those were torrid times for my teachers (When I knew only laughter best substantiates)

My first thought today morning
I’ve to put in some effort and study for CAT (had promised one friend of mine last night that I’ll study sincerely today)...did I ??? Well... she is one among the many reading this post...lollzzzz... so ?!?!?!

My time capsule would contain
I don’t want anything mighty..I just want a life I’m contented with. Something that gives me happiness and peace

This year
I’m going to put in sincere efforts to BELL the CAT and do other B school exams well. Above all, grow in confidence as a person and leave behind myself all disturbing thoughts.

14 years from now
Want a satisfying job in the banking sector. Have enough bank balance and lead a happy life. .The best thing about the future is, I can quite confidently say " I will be happy " :D

A short and a simple tag…Thanks Priya…was lovely

I'm not tagging anybody. I'm kind enough to say that ' Those wish to, shall do it '...lolllzz.

Well…as you can see, I’ve gone in for a change in my blog layout. Changes are ineveitable in life and my blog layout is no different…I’m happy with this layout…do tell me if you like it….well changes ARE inevitable but my writing style remains the same, atleast for some time…hope this style is fine with you 

Realization

In my previous write-up, I had exclaimed ‘Happiness is best realised when one finds things once done, amusing’. Now, the point I’m trying to emphasize in this write-up is, ' What happens with Realization???'. Happiness may not be the only parameter. I’m describing Realization in general. What it can do to one etc etc… I’m just a 20 yr old guy and what I’m going to pen down may not exactly be true and what I write is just my opinion and what I’ve learnt from my own experiences. You may add what according to you is a better definition in the comments column.

Realization, in my opinion is a must for all at one point of time in life. Realization of one’s past incidents include the mistakes one indulged in, the arrogance that accompanied the conversations, things done with no inclination and lots more. If I confine the topic of realization to my own self, the highlighted statement was always part of mine. All these years, I had been a victim of this practice where I involved myself in activities towards which I had no inclination whatsoever. It's always commendable to aim for higher goals but what makes it achievable is the inclination attached with that desire to succeed. That was exactly what I lacked and ended up being in the middle of nowhere. Now, when one looks back at my past, it certainly defies logic when I say I'm focussed about my career. But after realization, the same can be told with confidence and authority. This is precisely what Realization can do to one. You get it ??? Realization can work wonders to people who think twice before acting upon things. Also, the timing of realization is very much important. The preceding statement could be contradicted saying ‘ It’s better late than never’ but I would like to refute ‘ It’s better early than late’. Which is early and when it is late depends on the situation and differs from person to person. Realization, if I can say, is a by-product of Introspection or rather analysis of all thoughts ( good / bad ) culminates into what is called Realization.

The positives of Realization are best acknowledged when enough time is given for oneself to analyse how exactly mistakes were done and how aversive was one to suggestions suggested then. One thing I’ve realised is, ‘When you achieve success, it’s described a multiple effort but when you have failed, you’re the only person to take the blame and there’s none around you to receive the baton of blame’. Mistakes are indeed, part and parcel of everyone’s life but life’s lived better with minimal number of mistakes. Mistakes, here, I don’t mean the blunders but the small things done in haste (with no second thoughts) which leave a lasting impression. To take a page out of my book, I realized lot many things in the recent past, how foolish I had been in giving undue importance to what everybody had got to say with no inclination on my part. Also I’ve realized the importance of patience, tolerance and benevolence - soft-skills make a person's outlook much better than his intelligence or qualification.

Now, realizing all my past incidents doesn’t make me a complete individual. It’s important how well I practise and try my best to not repeat the mistakes. I’m trying to re-invent myself as a responsible and a mature individual. The learning process has just begun but I’m sure it’ll continue forever.

P.S: I didn’t know what to post in my blog this week. Since these thoughts have been flashing across my mind for quite a while, I thought it won’t be a bad idea to just pen them down. Hope I didn’t bore you. Infact, this is the shortest write-up in my blog till date : )

A Walk To Remember

It was a pleasant Sunday evening and after practising a few RC passages (CAT beckons me), I felt the need to greet Lord Hanuman, residing just a few metres away from my house and it had been a long time since we met. I generally don’t visit temples wishing for things to happen because I believe, God understands my needs, recognizes my capabilities and bestows me with things I truly deserve. But when something really nice happens in life, I make it a point to thank Him in person for being with me and this visit was no different as He had blessed me with a lucrative offer from Tech Mahindra.

On leaving the temple, I embarked on a walk which today, I feel is the most cherished and best reminisced. Even before leaving home, I had decided to take a walk in my locality (one of the evergreen places in Chennai – Ashok Nagar) and so pocketed my mp3 player. Music freshen my thoughts, I imbibe in me the enthusiasm to enjoy brought back memories. If ever I could experience an indeterminate sense of joy erasing all worries troubling my mind and dispelling unwanted feelings stemming from my heart (at least for a while), this should be the first instance. As I start with the next paragraph, my finger nerves are ordered by the heart to key in the correct words to make sure no feeling is minced and my mind is instructed to make sure emotions are best expressed. This’s accomplished if I succeed in making you take a trip down your memory lane once you finish reading this write-up.

I left the temple, switched on my mp3 player, started off with Pehla Nasha (Jo Jeeta Woh Hi Sikander) and the walk began on a feel-good note. I walked a few metres and looked up to see a dark sky with no stars above me but as I looked down, I could visualize footsteps of a 7 year old boy carrying his violin on one hand and holding his cousin with the other hand. I halted for a while just hoping if I could listen to any conversation between them.You may wonder if that was hallucination ? Yes, I did hallucinate but I just hope I could re-live the past. That 7 yr old boy still lives in me and I love him more than anybody else because that child was me, 13 yrs back. Everytime I cross the temple, I breathe memories of the days I did no harm, got no anger, never bad-mouthed people and above all, was adorned by almost all in my family. As I think deeper, I’m reminded of the days when as a kid, I played cricket with my cousin and my neighbours on sunny afternoons outside the temple. But I’m best reminded of the evenings when I carried that stringed instrument cursing all Gods for having invented it. I was cajoled by my parents to attend violin classes but I detested complying with their cajolery at the expense of playing cricket.

As I proceeded a few more yards, to my right, I gazed at an old building with a board outside ‘St.Mary’s School’. That intent look touched my nostalgic nerve and I wondered if I could knock at the gate to meet the Big Miss ( The headmistress of this school is referred as ‘Big Miss’ and she resides just behind the school ). This was the first school I ever attended as a 3 yr old and I’m reminiscent of the days I attended school with no books but a snack box and a water-bottle shouldering me. I turned right and there, at the crossroads is the apartment where two of my friends live. When I think of them, I’m reminded of those sunny afternoons when we, as children, danced for the song 'Muqabula Muqabula' on the cycle rickshaw after one of those exams. As I leisurely walked a little further and looked up, I was unable to view the sky as I was sauntering on a road with trees on either side (those are rare sights in modern Chennai but that’s Ashok Nagar for you) and at that street beginning was the house where the then Principal of my school Mrs. Lakshmi Subramanian once lived. It brought back horrendous memories of days when my mom threatened to take me to her if I fail to eat green vegetables (even today, I hate green vegetables). As I passed by her house, I found my mom’s words only amusing and laughed at my innocence. The road that leads from her house, I would say, is one of the best stretches in Chennai and if I were given the task of naming roads, I would call it ‘The Joggers’ Paradise’. This stretch is semi-circular shaped and it's one of those few roads where one gets to breathe fresh oxygen 24X7 and seldom disturbed by jarring horns of vehicles - Tranquility at its best. I ambled a little further to find the office of my local Cable TV operator. One of the happiest moments in my childhood was when my dad gave the nod for a cable TV connection at home. If I’m right, it was the summer of 1998 when I went through those anxious moments - seconds took minutes to pass and minutes looked hours. I pedalled my way from home to that office atleast 10-15 times that day just to make sure the connection was done at the earliest.

As I finished walking the semi-circular stretch, I entered one of Chennai’s well-maintained broader roads, the 11th Avenue Road .This best exemplifies the term ‘arterial road’ and despite the continous buzz of vehicular traffic, pedestrians are given enough space to walk and one doesn’t find sand gushing onto the face. And there situated is the Madras Corporation Library. One look at it, I rewind myself ten years back when my friend and I were barred from entering just because we were wearing shorts despite the fact that we were just 10 yrs old. Direct opposite to that library is a narrow street housing many apartments and one of them is ‘Gokul Flats’ where my childhood friend once lived. Incidents there, best substantiate my childhood innocence and exuberance. That was the apartment outside which I played cricket in the evenings and the flat A-1 was where I played video games with a 4th standard social text book beside me. In the name of joint study, I used to go to my friend's place and play video games till my eyes got weary of the rays being emitted from that 12’ TV set. It was also that apartment terrace where we once studied computer science together only to fail miserably in a class test. It was such a nice feeling to think of those days and just one look at that apartment sufficed for those thoughts to flash across my mind. I was so much moved on retrospection. Yes !!! Those were fun-filled days.

As I came back home, I felt Happiness is best realised when one finds things once done, amusing. Also I felt something had dented my heart and got a feeling of having dropped something very precious on the way. I exclaimed to myself ‘How about continuing with the walk for another half-hour atleast ?’ - To regain the lost possession

What I missed, was the happiness I had acquired during the walk. Although past incidents are sure to remain etched in my memory, they’re best felt and acknowledged when I actually take a walk and revisit. It's indeed a special feeling when trees on Joggers' Paradise smile at me by a flutter of their branches everytime I pass by. It was certainly A Walk To Remember.

Is my task accomplished ? Did I succeed in making you take a trip down your memory lane ?

Destiny's Child

It was a Monday forenoon class in college just before the lunch break and my mind was in a state of delirium. Anxiety and confusion filled my mind. It was the Engineering Economics hour and as always, I cared a damn for that poor guy who was screaming at the top of his voice, trying his best to make us understand GDP. I was working on my career prospects - the options avalable, things I’m interested in, things I’m good at, and what not ? I was desperate for something good to happen in my life. To be very frank, I just can’t think of one thing I’ve achieved in life. In my opinion, an achievement is done when one succeeds in something he/she had aspired for. That’s one, but if someone, unlike me, is more interested in pleasing others, then achievement to him is something he has succeeded in, which pleases the rest of the world but not him. On both occasions, accolades pour in but from different quarters.

Now, after reading the first paragraph, you may wonder in what way this is related to the title ‘Destiny’s Child’. I’ll establish the relationship in the paragraphs to come. At the end, I would like you to share your opinion on two things.

1. Have I achieved something ? If so, which of the above two statements define my achievement best ?
2. Am I Destiny’s Child ?

Coming back, it was the 4th hour on Monday when I was wondering whether or not to appear for the recruitment scheduled for the next day. For readers who don’t know my educational qualification, I’m doing final year Mechanical Engineering at SRM University, Chennai. Being a Mechanical Engineer, working in a software company certainly defied logic in my opinion and hence, a few weeks back, I showed no interest in applying for IT biggies like TCS, CTS, i-Flex etc. Also, I was unhappy with the mass recruitment being done year after year and it certainly discredited the very process of recruitment. I felt, being one among a few recruited would better prove my credentials. My disinterest towards IT companies can also be attributed to the fact that I showed the least interest in C language and programming never interested me. All these days, I had been a frog in the well knowing only an M.Tech in Industrial Engineering as a career option. I failed to analyse other options available, my interests and things I was good at. This made me look at the manufacturing sector companies alone for recruitment and even though I detested the work culture there, I forced myself to apply only for those. So superficial and crude was my thinking till the dusk of August 4th 2008. My thought process dawned at dusk and I decided to sit for placements. Majority of my friends opined that I had a very good chance of getting recruited but my basic intention was to get a feel of an HR interview and I wanted it to be a test of my confidence level and communication skills. Later in the evening, I rushed to the nearest browsing center, took print-outs of my RESUME and was all charged up.

After many years, I gave due respect to my timepiece’s alarm bell and got up at sharp 5.30. For the first time in 20 yrs, I dressed up in formals with a maroon striped shirt and a black pant. I looked at the mirror and exclaimed to myself ‘You do look good dude!! : ) ‘. I reached college on time to attend the pre-placement talk of India's sixth largest software exporter Tech Mahindra Pvt. Ltd. As many as 400 + students attended the ppt and I came to know from my placement co-ordinator that they were not going to recruit more than 30 or at the max 50. After looking at the crowd that had gathered I felt it would be really good if I made it to the final interview. The .ppt presentation was impressive and equally impressive was the company's growth over the years. Being a first timer at pre-placement talks, it was a fascinating spectacle to see the gorgeous interiors at their workplaces - totally CHILLAX. After the half-hour presentation, we moved to the computer labs to take the online test. We had to answer 100 questions in one hour with questions of an average dificulty level and I found the ones in the logical reasoning section very interesting. I answered 86 questions successfully and was quite confident of making to the Technical Interview round ( hoping there were no upper cut-offs ) and I did. To my surprise, the interview session started immediately and I was the fourth candidate. The interviewer, a middle-aged person, was impressed with my English fluency and confidence level that I made it to the HR interview directly with no need for a second technical interview. The final announcement of selected candidates came as late as 2000 hrs and I was one among the 29 students recruited.

Accolades poured in from family members, friends and especially from those in my department as I was one among the six Mechanical Engineers recruited. Unlike others who heaved a sigh of relief having seeked a decent job, I was unmoved. Even in the wildest of my dreams, I didn't expect myself to work for an IT company and applying for Tech M was something unexpected 36 hrs back. A few of my friends jumped with joy after the final announcement and even after coming back home; some called me and were full of emotions as it meant so much to them. Am I sounding puffed-up with these recruitments looking an ordinary affair ? No. The truth, I’ve discovered is, all these years I had been a guy with no ambitions, a guy who failed to give a thought about his future, a guy who failed to recognise the skills in him, a guy who blindly followed what people, he respects, had to say, and a guy who was not driven by his thoughts and aspirations. On instances when I complied with what others had to say with no real interest on my part, things ended up on a miserable note - there have been quite a few examples in the past. It took me two hours that night to actually realise that I had done something commendable.

To be very frank, the decision to apply for Tech Mahindra was instinctive and something I feel, was destined to happen. Now I've decided to work at Tech M if I goof-up my CAT and other B school exams this year. Also I've realised the need for flexiblility and hence, I'm game to learning C programming with interest if the situation demands. With a job on hand, I'm able to look at better options ahead and it has certainly exuded the confidence in me to move ahead in life with a positive frame of mind. I'm bubbling with optimism and really looking forward to an exciting life ahead. I’m very firm in doing only things that interest me because I’m sure I’ll give my best and work to my potential to achieve the same. I feel, being more passionate about things one is good at, is a permanent ticket to success. Hence, I've turned a solitary thinker (in the last 1 month ) working on ways to develop my character and shape my attitude in the right direction.

Scroll up. Read the first paragraph again and post your comments if you feel I’ve achieved something and if so, does my achievement support the definitions? All these years, things have just fallen in place and I had been a guy with no real aspirations or dreams. I had been Destiny’s child.