On a long, really long flight... When the writer/philosopher in me suddenly said...

Where there is darkness, there is the possibility of light...

Where there is loneliness, there is the possibility of companionship...

Where there is selfishness, there is the possibility of sacrifice...

Where there is greed, there is the possibility of contentment...

Where there is betrayal, there is the possibility of commitment...

Where there is a loss, there is the possibility of victory...

Where there is anger, there is the possibility of a smile...

Where there is cowardice, there is the possibility of valour...

Where there is recklessness, there is the possibility of thoughtfulness...

Where there is despair, there is the possibility of joy...

Where there is hatred, there is the possibility of love...

Where is an end, there is the possibility of a beginning...

Unless there's a negative, there can never be a positive. That's how life is, and how it shall always be. 

Up to us really, in what way to take it...

Changing Perfection and Perception

People often tell me that perhaps I am a little too critical, a bit blunt and almost never politically correct. Thank you all for being so honest, it just feels so good to know that I am still me because a few think IIMB has changed me. Yes, perhaps my habits have, and my attitude for sure has. But wouldn’t it be really nice to just appreciate that the heart is still the same! I am 22 years old and 22 years is a long time. Long enough to have changed my looks completely, long enough to have given me a few heartbreaks, long enough to have taught me a zillion lessons. How am I supposed to adapt to a new environment without changing anything? Bangalore is not a slow moving hill station, IIMB is not an undergrad college, and I am not a donkey. I have always made necessary adjustments to sync in to the world I get into, so does that change the person that I have always been?

So herein lies the major problem- Perfection and change aren’t particularly friendly. See when things are perfect, you don’t want them to change. You are afraid the change may disrupt that state of Perfection. It is perfectly normal to feel this way. I am talking from an Indian perspective here. Professor Thiru once rightly remarked, “Our greatest competency is being friends with Paradox”. We want the laws to be strictly enforced, but crib that in the US you can’t even pee on the highway. We are home to the largest number of engineers in the world; our roads are also home to the largest BPL population. So you see, Indians living paradoxical lives isn’t something new. It is ingrained in our system. So the next time you meet someone who has a hundred different reasons to be sad but tells you pretty confidently that his life is perfect, don’t take him as a madman; he could simply be telling the truth and guess what, that man you stumble across could so easily be me. I may have just broken up, may not end up with a very ideal job and possibly never again feel the same for that one inexplicable thing called love; but I still know my life is perfect. You know how? For every time I have doubts about this, I ask myself one simple question, “would you rather be living someone else’s life?” John Mayer, Beckham, Fernando Torres, wouldn’t I give anything to live the life of one of them! NO, the answer is surprisingly always a no. It is a very logical choice- I try and see what I have and they may not instead of the other way round and I see no comparison whatsoever. I have the most wonderful family God could have ever blessed me with. A mother who has so little to say but so much love to offer; her self-discipline and dedication towards the family is a privilege for us to be enjoying. A father who has been a lifelong buddy, one who always has the right things to say at the right time and the only guy that I have ever admitted is better looking and more charming than me. A little sister who doesn’t give me sleepless nights with her tantrums even though she is already in college, a rare gem in today’s times. And I have God who’s always blessed me with so much which I always believe I didn’t deserve. My friends call me “Destiny’s Child” but I have been “My Heavenly Father’s child” all along and his most adorable gifts to me have been my friends. All my life, I’ve just been fortunate to have met and befriended some of the most amazing characters who’ve left a little more than just footprints. And the best of them are right here. Living in G Spo(r)t is an adventure every single day. With so little time left at B, I can’t help feel a little sad that there may never be another group of the most diverse, fantastically talented and extraordinarily close individuals again in my life. But then again, as I said earlier, a change could so easily be for the good also. So you see, I may not have the perfect resume, I may not end up with a perfect job and I may never find the perfect girl (there’s nothing like one) but my life’s pretty much perfect. And I am more than happy to change a thousand times more if this is how my life will always be. So until the next time when I start feeling that my life’s no more perfect again, here’s Tshering signing off.

P.S. Don’t wait. That next time may never come. Below are some characters from G Spo(r)t. See if you can spot a few.

Ø The self-proclaimed Casanova, he is frighteningly similar to me; perhaps a little more fun and definitely much more obstinate.

Ø The God, full of awesome gyan applicable to all except himself. His PSH Theory is definitely one for today and something I am seriously considering.

Ø The Awefsome Launda who advises others to not keep any emotional attachment with the other gender while himself being truly and madly in love with the one.

Ø The youngest in the group (no relation to age); always up for adventure trips and late night stuff. Undoubtedly the funniest, wackiest and my biggest competitor in G Sp(r)t

Ø The coding machine, famous for his, “Bhau, jo bhi bolta hu, dil se bolta hu” after a few drinks dialogue.

Ø The chicken gulping machine, the body builder, the Man, and the object of the wildest fantasies of all German females who had the fortune of seeing him in action during the exchange term.

An extraordinary league of Gentlemen

The IIMB Sports legacy thrives on the foundations of Passion, Courage and Honour. So when the opportunity to deliver on a social front arrived this year, that so noble Vikasana, as always led from the front. However, this time they were not alone.

This semester has seen the Sports Council involved in a variety of pleasantly different activities and this was just another chance to add a new dimension to our personality. So it fell upon the IIMB cricket team to help the Indian Blind Cricket prepare for their scheduled tour of England in a fortnight’s time. As we later found out, we should have been prepared too.

Posters and high profile publicity have never been the Sports Council’s forte, but this time though, the posters were out in full flow with the highlight being IIMB CRICKET TEAM- Needs no introduction. Mid term examinations and a bit of complacency made sure the IIMB team had no practice whatsoever, (the game would be played with blind cricket rules- plastic noisy ball, underarm bowling, etc.) a fact that surely had a significant implication on the turn of events on match day.

Match Day: Sunday, August 1, 2010.

Friendship’s Day brought no surprises. There were very few sitting on the grassy banks of the beautiful IIMB cricket ground. Sunday mornings aren’t the best crowd pullers here but those who did fight the late night sleep syndrome were thoroughly entertained, at least for half the match.

The IIMB team captain was found explaining the rules of the game to his team mates just before the match, some however didn’t quite understand until they faced the music. The IIMB captain won the toss and decided to field first. (Should have batted though. We could easily have had two full matches with our batting prowess.) But let’s not dwell on what could have been. Instead let’s look back at what turned out to be a day to remember for everyone (for different reasons obviously).

Naveen C was given the task of wiping off the opponents with his screaming underarmers but the batsman on strike had other ideas. The first ball went for a huge six over cover and that just set the tone for the onslaught that followed. The batsman, Prakash, had a great day with the bat (I guess our ordinary “underarm” bowling not helping) and scored a mammoth century that propelled their score to over 200. More than 60% of their runs came in boundaries including two massive, unbelievable sixes (both off the same bowler, any guesses???).

The chase was expectedly going to be tough and some really fast underarm bowling didn’t help the IIMB openers’ cause, both of them falling cheaply. Prakash showed why he was such a huge asset to the Indian team with some extraordinary work with the gloves, getting two batsmen stumped. Extraordinary (how else would you describe a completely blind man throwing to the stumps perfectly every single time with only the keeper’s voice for direction) fielding got the better of Popo who thought he could sneak in a couple of runs. The IIMB captain, Shini Patel tried his best to apply himself to the situation and get accustomed to sweep (literally) batting but his best efforts help the team escape an embarrassing loss. The team however took the whole thing in a lighter vein (kudos to all of us) and admitted that they had been beaten but in a different ball game altogether. Handshakes, smiles and group photos followed to cap off a memorable time on the wonderful occasion of Friendship Day. We wish the Indian Blind Cricket team the very best for their tour of England and for the World Cup next year and hope they come again for another match. Hopefully this time we will be better prepared to sweep and under swing. Cheers!!!

Experience of a different kind

There was this one particular sign board on the way down to Siliguri from Darjeeling that read,

“It is better to be late, Mr. Sharma than to be Late Mr. Sharma”.

Every single time I get onto an auto in Kolkata, I only wish the autowallah has seen something similar. Now I may sound over the edge with this one but trust me, this is one experience that can only be felt in good old Kolkata.

I have travelled quite a lot (courtesy Dad taking me around every year) in the southern part of our country and hence have been to most of the major cities there- Chennai, Hyderabad, etc. and of course my home town for the past four years- Bengalooroo. But nowhere have I seen a transport system as unique as the one in Kolkata. Autos in Bangalore would be taxis here and vice versa.

I have been here for a month now, working as a summer intern and I believe one month is decent amount of time for understanding a place better. I came with certain beliefs about Bengalis, the corporate world and Kolkata. The first two, as expected were mostly right but I must say Kolkata has offered things I had never expected, and right at the top of that list is travel.

I’ll leave the best for the end. Let’s start with the Metro rail. Very cheap, Swift, Good frequency of service but always crowded. I barely managed to force myself into a metro yesterday morning. I was late for office and this was the fastest way. I had experienced the rush previously but yesterday it was literally crazy. More than a thousand people were squeezed in together so tight I couldn’t even expand my lungs completely. And do you know what the irritating part is (I found it really funny though)? People were asking me to move aside, so that they could pass through. I looked around and then looked back at them. They didn’t say anything else, embarrassed by the stupidity of their impossible request. But on the brighter side, I tried to find an alternative way of getting to office today and guess what? It is easier and faster. Thank God!

Back to our Autowallahs. I know from my experiences in Bangalore that they are a rare breed. A community who leave their fear of death at home (and perhaps their intelligence and common sense too) and ride like there’s no tomorrow. The fiercest of them, however, live here, in Kolkata because nothing has ever scared me the way every auto ride here does. Perhaps it’s the fear of falling off the front seat (where 4 people impossibly cramp in), or the disc brake styled stops they take from unauto like speed but whatever it may be, travelling in Kolkata is definitely an experience of a different kind.

The last mile...Appreciating an Enigma

I saw him bleed. I saw him fight the bad guys all by himself. I saw him risk it all for his family’s honour. I clung to every turn, I prayed at every fumble. I cried and I screamed my lungs out, and when Aamir Khan finally peddled himself to that famous photo finish victoryin Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, I went berserk.

Twelve years on, I was (not exactly) sitting in the IIM Bangalore mess, still as animated, as eager as back then. The cricketing god was weaving his magic with the bat and the mighty Australians seemed mere mortals. The impossible target was just a few hits away, the entire country stood still. But then the unimaginable happened. One bad shot and the crowd went silent. Such is his presence that as soon as he left, the innings just crumbled and we finished 3 runs short.

As you can probably make out, the second instant was the fifth one dayer between India and Australia. By the end of it, there was one name that made all the difference – Sachin Tendulkar. “He should have played till the end. He failed yet again when it mattered the most”; commented most of the experts like myself. If one looks at his record, it further validates the theory that Sachin is not a crunch player. That he hasn’t performed every time India has needed him to come up with a match winning effort. I have never really been the stats sort of guy and hence I differ in my opinion of that one person who most believe was born to play the game (It’s only my opinion of course).

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the phenomenon, the magician, the icon and most loved Indian ever. No adjective or superlative can ever describe what he has stood for all these years, not just for India but the sport as a whole. To be honest I would never want to be in his shoes. The weight of a billion expectations, the niggling injuries and the ageing body not helping, he is still there. The hunger, the motivation, the reflexes are better, sharper than ever. He loves the game and we love him. I wish I could go up to him one day and say,” Sir, please remember that for every critic who’s after you, you also have a million fans who love you and pray for you to continue as long as you can. Thank you for giving us a million reasons to love the game of cricket.”

And for the critics, if you aren’t an Indian, then just shut up, and if you are one among those sick backstabbing lot, may God be with you like the way he has always been with Sachin. Yes, God surely loves him. Was it his fault that there wasn’t a captain like Dhoni to lead a side as balanced as the current team to back him with the support he so evidently lacked when he was firing on all cylinders back in the nineties? Didn’t you switch channels every time Sachin got out early?

People never appreciate what they have. He is not a movie hero like Aamir Khan. He is for real and he can fail sometimes, unlike movie heroes. He is a jewel. Treasure him and treasure every match that he graces with his mere presence. When he finally bids adieu to his beloved game, there will be very few records that he will not have broken. But that hardly matters to the Little Master. He never played for records anyways. And when he steps in to that Oval one last time, I will not be surprised if I find myself crying like a baby for there will never be another Sachin Tendulkar.

The uncertainty that is life

I am not sure if I love or hate my life for the fact that I am not totally in control of it. In life, you always have choices. You can choose to follow your dreams and give away what could have been an ideally comfortable life, all the more if one is graduating from a place like IIM Bangalore (Day 0, fat salaries and all that…). The funny thing is, quite a few, after joining some really fancy organizations, actually realize they were, after all, born to decide when the world will go into recession again or charge a fortune for letting your clients know they never really had a problem in the first place. Occasionally, I think about how my life could have been completely different. A sportsman or perhaps a singer! Exciting lifestyle, countless fans, world tours, etc, etc. Wow! This is exactly where I believe most of us make the mistake of ignoring a very probable second thought. What if I hadn’t been this lucky in being born to the most amazing parents and never having to compromise on my dreams and wishes? The plain fact of life is “we are never satisfied.” Luckily, God’s been one amazing friend all through my life (though I’ve been selfish in remembering him only when I am in trouble). But that is what friends are for, aren’t they? Good things have just happened to me and I am in IIM Bangalore today, a spot millions of young Indians dream of every year. And that’s exactly when I really, really love life. I do not know where I will be a couple of years down the line but that’s the beauty of it all. Time is really flying now a days, I had imagined myself working so hard. It’s all planned, it’s all written, just as the Mahabharata was written years before it actually took place. Most may disagree but that’s perfectly understandable. It’s only what I believe in, and may not actually be true though I beg to differ.

I hadn’t really noticed until a few days back that in all my time thus far in IIMB I had actually developed a more positive attitude towards life. I no longer think of failure before I venture into anything. I guess it’s just the people around me who bring so much positive energy amidst all the pressures of being in the country’s premier B school. Friends, pals, buddies, whatever you may call them, the fact remains they define who you were, who you are and who you will be. I feel blessed…the second term is going way better than the first one and I am finally enjoying my life here. Hope it continues. Cheers…