Showing posts with label networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label networking. Show all posts

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Story of my life

(Note: You may see more posts coming up with this title. It doesn't mean I'm depressed. Just that I was too lazy to come up with a new title when I posted it)

Preparations are under way for the trip to Delhi. What trip to Delhi, you ask? The one I mentioned in my previous post. You probably missed it in all the bitching.

On Thursday, we had an oratorical competition. The topic was, “Scientific study should be for the benefit of the society.” Participants had to speak for the motion for two minutes, do an about face (not literally) and talk against the motion for two minutes. This innovative competition saw a grand total of … 6 entries. And Yours Truly was one of ‘em.

I have a feeling that, subconsciously, I enjoy shooting off my mouth. I really didn’t plan on taking part. It just happened. I ended up registering on impulse and I said some very confusing, downright silly things. It must be the first time some one mentioned Einstein, GPS, vaccines and cavemen in the same speech. Needless to say, I lost. Maybe I would have won the prize for the most incoherent speech. Sadly, there was nothing of the sort.

Following that, at 1900 hrs we had a debrief about the trip (Military time makes it sound like it’s a bigger deal than it actually is) We selected a leader for our team. (B_G, take a bow) We decided that we needed more practice in the sci-fi writing event. Apparently our writing either wasn’t scientific enough. Or, as in the case of one of the first year students, wasn’t fictional enough (!) And my genetics prof also insisted that we practice for the debate and other oratorical events. I’d made a very big impression. As an example of what can go wrong…:-(

Yesterday was fun. We went down to Symbiosis for a quiz on the media. It was part of a 3 day long fest organized by their Media and Communication school. The quiz itself was crap. Mostly because the Quizmaster WAS JUST AWFUL. For one, he stood behind a lectern. He mumbled. He used corny, beaten-to-death lines. He wasn’t friendly. He wasn’t engaging. And he made up the rules as he went along. He even had a flunky to walk around the stage. The guy actually told one of the teams, “Don’t argue with the quizmaster. Just answer the question,.” Or, in other words, you can’t win. One of the few times that I was glad I didn’t qualify for the finals.

I did meet Saras, one of my seniors from school. She was in the organizing committee for the fest. She was part of one of the most bubbly, creative, colourful in-your-face batches. And she was one of the most bubbly, creative, colourful and in-your-face among them. Looks like she’s doing pretty well. She’s got an interview lined up with STAR Networks next week. And I’ve got Chem practical reports to submit next week. Damn.

After all that running around from my coll to Symbi and back, I went shopping in the evening. I had to get a jacket for aforementioned trip to Delhi (last time it’s gonna come up in this post, promise!). And this morning, when I look at what I bought, I’m having second thoughts. I’ve realized that satisfaction with what you buy is a lot like waking up the morning after. If it’s you’re girlfriend, who you obviously know well, beside you, it fills you with a warm feeling and reassures you that she’s there. If it’s a girl you barely know, and you’re slightly hung over, you’re scared. You’re wondering “What did you just do? What the hell were you thinking?!”

See, I’m a slave to brands. It’s a mark of quality. For me, whenever there’s a choice to be made, I always go with the branded one “What hard drive do I buy? The branded one. Which restaurant do I go eat in? The branded one. Who do I ask out? The branded one” You get what I’m saying?

So, I bought a Puma Jacket over something called a “t-base”. Both cost me about the same. But now, the Puma, well…

Don’t get me wrong. The material feels really good, it fits really well, and it has a nice, sporty air to it. But now, it looks too casual. I get the feeling I could have spent my not-overflowing funds better if I’d looked around a bit more. And the colour. It’s almost the exact shade of grey as my school uniform! Freudian slip? One-night stand? Impulse buy? Dunno, but it cost me MUCHO bucks.

Anyway, I’m gonna go watch the auditions for the college play. It should be fun watching someone else make a fool of themselves on stage, for a change. Ciao!

(Factoid: Puma and Adidas were founded by brothers Rudolf and Adi Dassler, respectively. They split up their shoe-making business after WWII into two companies. Apparently there's been a history of Ambani-style split ups. And Adidas comes from ADI DASsler, not All Day I Dream About Sports)

Saturday, January 19, 2008

The List

Readership is slowly picking up here, thanks mainly to tireless advertising by Yours Truly("Read my blog! Read my blog!"). I've got some requests and suggestions as well here. Suggestions being, "Don't keep it so local and tamil. At this rate, the only person who'd enjoy reading your blog is you!", and "Why are you writing about stuff that's so personal, and yet unrelated to the rest of us? This is the internet, not a locker room, for goodness' sake!". And finally, "Stop ending your quotes with exclamation marks!!!" (Yes, that's a very juvenile joke. But then, this is MY blog. So, ha!)

Moving on to requests, I've got one to make a list. Apparently, one of my readers loves lists. Which is one of the reasons why she was hooked onto ClunkiestAtol's blog [the other being that they're best friends. But that's only a minor detail ;)].

So, here goes. Things that scare me:

1) Horror movies that have an actual scientific basis (like "I am Legend". Not like "Frankenstein" and definitely not like "Independence Day")

2) Exams. Wait, this shouldn't even be on the list. Everyone's scared of them!

3) Traffic in Madras- I'd rather park on Mount Road and walk to Panagal Park, rather than drive through T. Nagar. No, even better. I won't go to Panagal Park

4)Computers hanging up - Especially when you need 'em the most. Damn you, William!

5) Train horns going off just as they pull into the station - Been scared of that ever since I was 5. That happened for the first time in Coimbatore. Not funny!

6) Being alone. I mean emotionally, not physically. (Boy, do I sound like a wuss)

7) People who smile for no reason at all. Especially if they're looking at me when they smile.

8)People who say they know what I'm thinking

9)And when they actually do know what I'm thinking!

10) Getting shot down when I ask a girl out. And I mean a massacre where she not only says no, but abuses you for actually asking her. Thankfully, that's never happened to me, yet...

Other news. The astrology app in Facebook says that Cancer is the classic flirt and has to turn the heat down today (!). And I just earned myself a Porsche Carrera GT racing in the Petrolhead app.(Woohoo! Geek!)

And finally, continuing the laundry theme from last time, here's a bit of advice to anyone who has to do their own laundry. Never (and I mean never) wash indigo or red clothes in hot water. Thecolours run like they're in a marathon.

That's all for now. (No laundry next time, promise :D)