...tales from the gray crypt

Welcome!!! This is my life... Moving @ the rate of knots... the worst part is that due to its demanding schedule in this nondescript town - Harihar, where im studying management, the time i get to write is less than the time you would take when you say phi-la-del-phia.. :-/ this is my catharsis.. Will try and squeeze in whatever i can, especially the lessons that life teaches me. So, here i go, placing YOU on my pantheon, and hope that you like the gray ideating. Yours truly, Karan

Saturday, May 26, 2007

My summer in BANGalore !

I'm through...!

Kasam ganga maiya ki, me is through my Summers at Business Standard. Another jhanda on the top of my terrace, another topic to ramble about and another feather(?) in my cap(??!)...

When i had come here at BS, i was, as you know gutted ! Okay, i let you use a better adjective for the feeling... But i feel a lot different now.. As in, i don't think i can define the feeling exactly, but it is a +ve one for sure... Trust me... Don't? Read 'em on:
  • Got an amazing project out for myself, Analysis of the Advertising pattern of financial dailies. (has a nice ring to it, na? The pundits like it, so do I)
  • Met a lot of clients (met quite a few "samples" actually, but some tails notwithstanding, met quite a lot of heads as well, while hitting calls).
  • Got some astounding piece(s) of gyaan about Sales, Marketing and Advertising (ummm, not necessarily in that order); from electic people, ranging from a consultant of an HR firm, a Chairman of a pharma co., Brand manager of a leading airline, and some more.
  • Was trying to grab the attention of a wrong-side-of-20-something bohemian chick near my office, and to my utter dismay, came to know that she is an editorial team member at BS, who'd come down from Delhi that very morning. (frankly, she was okey-dokey... Ahem ahem... Yes, you've got it... I WANT TO SURVIVE... Get my point? She was passable...)
  • Got a SEXY PG right at the centre of Bangalore, at a very reasonable rate. Have checked many thakela PG's out which charge a couple of grands more than this, but this was like a three star resort. Good value for money. (thank you ad-mag).
  • Junta at Brigade road, MG road, and allied streets and lanes. (have seen better but...)
  • Used the office printer and phone, where the maximum an intern can get is a glass of water. (it's very tough to do it.. And, the entire office gets to know if you are `caught` by the admin fellow :-P
  • Spoke to the chief sub-editor of BS and absorbed a lot of practical suggns. for my mag work back at KIAMS, and also with the production guy at the press, taking down notes at ten in the night, a good two hours' drive away from my PG. (But tell you what, twas worth it...)
  • Made great friends at the PG. ( So far,,, he he he he... But i'm not on any of the social networking sites guys,,, well,,, as yet ;-D)
  • Played cricket on the streets after manyyyyy moons. (Oh Calcutta,, where art thou???)
  • Had Parle-G one entire day. Parle-G for breakfast, Parle-G for lunch, Parle-G for supper, and Parle-G at two in the morning the next day (can't figure out the name of this meal, get back with what ever you call it..)
  • Ate Domino's Cheese Burst pizza (try it out... Tis more tempting than a Jessica Alba striptease).
  • And, not forgetting, had eight pizzas, yes eight, the very next day (four of us) for a hundered bucks. don't ask me how. ask that guy from Domino's machaoing dhoom ;->
  • Got this free wi-fi connectivity for a couple of days, thanks to some pilot thing here at Intel, next to our place. (God bless Andy Grove!)
  • Learned to cook maggi... Finally... Seriously did. (Necessity is the mother of invention)
  • Didn't have a haircut... (count that as one of the bigger +ve's)
  • Saw a movie from Kazakhastan for the first time (Panzy, with a capital P).
  • Got a slazenger lawn tennis ball for free. (was lying next to a car, while coming back from work one fine evening, had no choice with no kids around. vintage blasphemous magnanimity for my own self! eh..)
  • "Stole" what 25 guavas, from a tree in front of the building compound next to ours. (got 2.5 complaints from the residents the next day as well... bring 'em on!)
  • Learned to delegate work. Don't ask me how. But i did for sure. (am very bad at it btw).
  • Had mango juice with a beggar nearby some days back. Just connected, and felt so good about myself that i can't use words to describe my feeling after the look from the poor soul. God bless him).
  • Got my tickets done for a couple of movies and to an amusement-cum-water park in Calcutta, thanks to my homesickness bouts. (On my way kids...)
  • And the best thing about the project getting over, is that i am going back home for a full TWO WEEKS... lesser mortals like us, who stay away know the pain people. (All you fortunate one's out there, make the most, or at least try to. You'll realize the importance of family only when you move out. Live every moment. And as Darren says "" I believe that family is worth more than money or gold"""... Trust us both...)

Cheers !

Karan

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Affirmation . . .

This is one hell of a song. . .
Every single line is a piece of education. . .

Hats off Darren and Daniel !
God Bless U both. . .

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument
I believe we place our happiness in other peoples hands
I believe that junk food tastes so good because its bad for you
I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do
I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem
I believe Im loved when Im completely by myself alone

I believe in karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you cant appreciate real love until youve been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you dont know what youve got until you say goodbye

I believe you cant control or choose your sexuality
I believe that trust is more important than monogamy
I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul
I believe that family is worth more than money or gold
I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair
I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires

I believe in karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you cant appreciate real love until youve been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you dont know what youve got until you say goodbye

I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness
I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed
I believe that God does not endorse tv evangelists
I believe in love surviving death into eternity

I believe in karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you cant appreciate real love until youve been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you dont know what youve got until you say goodbye

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

keep Chasing ! ! !

There have been a lot of people who feel that I am a tad too subjective, both literally as well as practically. This is the first of my counter punches to those lesser (!) mortals deprived of the knowledge of its apparent power through the pen (err, the keyboard!).

Well, these are 41 strong reasons that should tell some people (someone) that I am not as good as they think I am. Overestimation and overrating is bad (with a capital b).

When I – Organize I Know Dad is better than me

When I – Study I Know Anjana is better than me

When I – Analyze I Know Pankaj is better than me

When I – Memorize I Know Adarsh is better than me

When I – Shoot I Know Patel is better than me

When I – Smash I Know Praveen is better than me

When I – Serve I Know Harlalka is better than me

When I – Negotiate I Know Dad is better than me

When I – Joke I Know Chauhan is better than me

When I – Scorn I Know Soni is better than me

When I – Write I Know Abhinav is better than me

When I – Present I Know Srilakshmi is better than me

When I – Ideate I Know Prasoon (Joshi) is better than me

When I – Sketch I Know Saira is better than me

When I – Dress I Know Mickey is better than me

When I – Eat I Know Piyush is better than me

When I – Sleep I Know Balajee is better than me

When I – Type I Know Dill is better than me

When I – Wander I Know Rajeev is better than me

When I – Dance I Know Raj is better than me

When I – Imagine I Know Muthu is better than me

When I – Pass I Know Manish is better than me

When I – Sing I Know Divya is better than me

When I – Taunt I Know Patel is better than me

When I – Text I Know Saira is better than me

When I – Cook I Know Pathak is better than me

When I – Speak I Know Saira is better than me

When I – Host I Know Naqueeb is better than me

When I – Think I Know Salil is better than me

When I – Walk I Know Nash is better than me

When I – Advice I Know Vidya is better than me

When I – Exercise I Know Vineet is better than me

When I – Drool I Know Ganeri is better than me

When I – Decide I Know Adarsh is better than me

When I – Drive I Know Dad is better than me

When I – Bowl I Know Raghu is better than me

When I – Fight I Know Mark is better than me

When I – Punch I Know Vineet is better than me

When I – Defend I Know Sandeep is better than me

When I – Hug I Know Rashmi is better than me

When I – Watch I Know Natasha is better than me