Jay Mody

“It has always been a contentious issue for any generation with the previous generation. But surprisingly, everytime a generation grows up, things are forgotten and people tread the same path once more.

Its the fear of failure that has inhibited people from ages. I am specifically talking about the students here. The stigma attached with failing is so bad that a student can virtually go to absolutely any extent to pass in the examination. Philosophers and people who we call the so called thinkers, often say, “”Failure is a stepping stone to success””. I have heard big industrialists and business tycoons repeat in their speeches, the same old cliche. But what happens to all these when it comes to their own company. I have been through the interview processes of various companies and most of the companies have a pre-requisite that states that the student need to be clear all through out. Not a single failure in his degree career. So what happened to the statement that the head honcho of the same company made?

Students copy in the exams and get debarred. Laws are made for the same stating that, “”if a student is caught copying he shall be barred from giving the exam for 2 years””. This is the law that is written into the documentation of the 10th and 12th board in quite a few states. So what is it that will prevent these laws from ever coming into effect? The social status of a person who has failed is always considered to be doomed. A major upheavel is needed in the entire social strata.

A plethora of problems can be solved if the social acceptance improves. Not only social, the industry also. Sample paper leakages. Why does it happen? Law can be used for better things. You live by the sword and you die by the sword. Its you who has to decide how to use it.

When you think that we’ve used all our chances
And the chance to make everything right
Keep on making the same old mistakes
Makes untipping the balance so easy
When we’re living our lives on the edge
Say a prayer on the book of the dead”

“I always thought what could be better than sitting in my favourite watering hole in Bombay (Toto’s Garage Pub) and drinking chilled beer. I never let myself get carried away when I was in Bombay. Well it was home I had to go to at night. So there was no question of going back drunk. Incidently, I had a whole list of silly excuses always ready in case my mom woke up and asked me, “”Whats that smell?”” And the best part was, mom always fell for it

Well back in Kharagpur, things are different. You are staying alone and and theres no one to stop you. And well, at the end of the day, its IIT you are talking about. Every IIT has got a unique culture of its own. But lemme tell you, IITians (now includes me also) are all brats.

So lemme tell you something about IIT-KGP.
Kharagpur is a place in West Bengal, located about two and a half hours away from Kolkatta (Thats for the uninitiated. I didnt know myself until I got an interview call for IIT-KGP). It is basically a very small town. We can say that the entire town grew around IIT. But IIT, well its got everthing. Its got the typical IIT aura of non-polluted environment with tall and dense trees lining up the roads and the campus strecthing for acres and acres. IIT KGP is the largest with 1600 acres of land. You can see the entrance but there is no exit. Atleast I havent seen one to date.

So then we were talking about getting drunk at IIT. We have this paanwalla just outside the main gate of IIT. Bhondu, as we call him, is a handy-man. A man who can satisfy all ur needs and I mean all. Right from booze to dope to skin (ahem). Midnight is when most of the sessions begin. And its peak business for him from 12:00 to about 2:30 am. You smuggle booze into your hostel and quietly (well only for some time) sit at your favourite made-up bar and drink to your heart’s content. If you pass out, theres nothing to worry, someone will carry you to your room :D or heck, you can just sleep there.

I have gotten a little drunk on previous occasions but never have I given so much mumbo-jumbo. Like there was this particular night when after the session we were discussing about something I didnt even know and Gwalior was mentioned. And what do you know, I was quick at saying, “”Gwaaaaalior, thet ius in Maharashtraaaa”” And well I was arguing on it . The best part was that all this I came to know after a week. I tend to forget all of it the next day when I wake up.

Everytime I got drunk here, I have done some or the other non-sensical thing. But its been fun. Well there are more episodes, but I guess I shall just save them for later someday. Till then “”hic””…”

Hey people,

Its been quite some time. The domain had expired and I was too lazy to renew it. Now that finally its done, the sites back up again for year. Looking back at it, its been a little more than a year now for drumster.com

So life goes on, and blogging has pretty much taken a backseat. And now that exams start from 19th (gosh!! thats like 4 days..) it will definitely have to wait. The countdown to going back home has begun again. I’m leaving on 7th december for home, once again. And this time its gonna be a good 3 week holiday, with the new year in Bombay!!

So seeya guys in a while.

Here are the pictures of the Diwali celebrations at IIT.

“We have all been through numerous places through the years, when we’ve just hated to sit in those classrooms. And adaptable as a human being is, we try and succeed in dodging those creatures called professors.

If you can relate to majority of the following, then revel in your newfound glory of being called an LLB (Lord of the Last Bench):

• You believe that theres always room at the back
• When a professor looks at you, you scratch your temples in a thoughtful manner (while in reality you are lost somewhere in Hollywood or engrossed in making plans for the evening).
• You always try to find a huge person to sit behind (it provides for good cover when you try to hide behind and snore away)
• You believe that spectacles are a man’s best friend. It always provides a guise for your sleep. If you didnt have one, you went and got one without any power.
• Your eyes are always fixed on the board while doodling in your book (this makes the prof. think that you are taking notes)
• You nod your head occasionally in a scholarly manner
• You prepare an excuse before grabbing those 40 winks. The most popular one being, “”Ma’am, I had a severe headache””
• You are on a red alert during the attendance and believe that attendance is the most important part of a lecture.
• Lastly, you find yourself in a position, when you have just woken up to disturbing sounds of “”Wake him up!!!”” (okay this one is the worst, and at this point you decide, I shall never sleep in class again, only to nod off again in 15 minutes)

Am finally getting a much needed break next week, when I’ll be going home for a week. And I’m already waiting with bated breath for these days to pass by. And well we are getting royally screwed just before we leave for home. We have to present 6 cases in 4 days . Guess they want us to thoroughly enjoy our break ”

“People often ask me, “”What do you plan to do in life?””. It’s a situation that I never like to be in. But then I have to evade it somehow. So it’s always a different answer. And everytime I introspect about what I really wanted to do in life. Well its always a tough decision. And then it was about two-three weeks back, when I came to know about this really good speech by Baz Luhrmann called Sunscreen. I shall paste the text here for those of you who havent heard it. It is not very popular in this part of the world. It changes your perspective quite a lot. Anyways, here goes:

““”You just dont seem to get it do you?””

These pricks from the RIAA just dont seem to get it. This rant is in reference to the recent flurry of events. Why dont these guys realise one simple thing, the more you try to suppress, the more we will rise. There will be a day when it will all be over. Its all waiting for the bubble to burst.

There are times when people bring in a revolution to change the way the world worked at some point of time. First it was the invention of Hotmail, then came the era of Napster and Kazaa. Then started the terror-reign of the RIAA. Its all waiting now. For that one major break.

Its all very simple. When you can get the music for free or for very little amount, who in heavens name is going to pay 500 friggin’ bucks for an audio CD (all songs of which you dont even wanna hear). Its just funny the way these guys are gasping for breath and trying to nail everything here and there. Little do they realise that nailing one p2p will ingrain the seeds for 3 others. Its a losing battle for them. Little do they realise that they are never gonna win this.

At this point I would like to quote from The Usual Suspects:

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.

”

Its been more than a month since I stepped into a hostel for the first time with apprehensions galore. But most of them have been nullified by time and experiences. Its been good by far. But looking back at how life was and how it is right now, shitloads of things have changed. To sample a few:

• Never had I imagined I would be washing my clothes at 3:00 in the night, or rather morning. Heck I had never imagined I would be doing my laundry.
• I havent seen TV in the past one and a half month. Well back home it was hard to imagine a single day without television.
• I started playing volley ball, which to many would come as a surprise. Friends would say, you play volleyball?? Family would say, you play a sport??
• 9 to 12 is never the last movie show. Its always 2 a.m to 3 a.m
• I travel on a cycle everyday
• The sole purpose of attending a lecture is to sleep in the air-conditioned classroom. (NOTE: This stunt is performed by professionals. Amateurs shouldnt try this in their own lectures)
• I am writing a blog at 3:10 a.m.

“Never did I imagine that even the whiff of the home air or the taste of home food would satisfy me as much as it is satisfying me now.

Just a few days back mom called up to tell me she is sending me some “”stuff”” from home with an aunt who will be passing Kharagpur on her way. And the elation that came upon me lasted for a day. Today I booked my tickets for going to Bombay during the 10 day Durga Pooja break and once again the entire day went on a non-alocoholic high.

Its strange how we never value what we have. And its not just about being homesick, but its about everything in general. I mean I remember cribbing about school during those golden days. And now I am referring to those as “”Golden Days””. And we often talk about it as some of the best days. The same goes with the entire junior college and engg life. I guess, like change, it is the only other law of life. Hence goes the lyric I can’t get no satisfaction.

Lost in thought and lost in time
While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted
Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime
I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I knew the moment had arrived
For killing the past and coming back to life”

“Life takes a turn when you least expect it to. Or sometimes, you are just not prepared to go that way. When I look back at it, it’s been just two weeks.

Just two weeks since I left home. And here I am now on the other side of the country, with people I never knew and things I could never relate to. Its an arduous task to keep myself from having some free time. Yes, free time. ‘Coz thats the only while when I get homesick.

A friend of mine who studies at IIM-Bangalore told me about it. He said, “”I have just one piece of advice. Keep yourself occupied all the time.”” And well, true to its word MBA, does keep me occupied. But at times like these, I really feel like leaving it all and going back. Going back to a place where things make more sense. To a place where I know the people. Back home.

Ahh, well, back here life is hectic. Actually hectic seems to be quite a mild word. The day starts at 7:30 in the morning (and at 6:00 on two killer days). The only thing we arent sure of is, when it’ll end. I dont remember going to sleep before 3:00 on any night in the past one week. And then like the true MBA culture, we make up for sleep by dozing off in class.

I once said, I would never make this a personal blog. But that is precisely what I am doing right now. And well, the only explanation being, this is my only window to my friends now. But hey, I’ll still make sure I keep the number of my personal posts at a low.”

Its been quite sometime now since I left Bombay. Almost a week. And about the new place that I am at, I can say only one thing. Its gonna be a hell-hole.

What with no more than 4 hours of sleep everyday!!! And I think its become a regular feature now, people sleeping in B-School classes. I read sometime on Elysia‘s blog about, how she was sleeping in the class. At that time I was wondering how can someone actually sleep in class. But when college started yesterday, it dawned upon me, that I almost fell down twice before nodding off to sleep.

Less than 4 hours of sleep is something with which I have never coped up before. And well, now I have no choice but to accept it the way it is.

When you come to a new B-School, there are egos to tackle and things to do. Well people come with a fixed frame of mind that they should be leaders. They go to the extent of imposing themselves, or atleast trying to, in order to show their leadership. I remember back then in engineering, things were better (I never thought I would say this). And I being the youngest in the batch, am sidelined most of the times. Most of the students have 2-3 years of work experience.

Thats how things go for now. Theres not gonna be much blogging and bloghopping for sometime now. Exams are already around the corner in a months time and there are shitloads of things happening all around. To give a fair idea, there are 10 subjects to be completed and tested till november.