In Mumbai Bollywood,Cricket and VJTI Sells

Newspapers today are obsessed with VJTI . So much has been written about VJTI.TOI has specially assigned Hemali Chappa to scoop all the dirt she can find on VJTI.

Now it looks like DNA has also joined the gang.

I can imagine the DNA editor saying "Listen up people. I want you to blow this thing so much, i want you to sex up this story so much that it makes the Times of India look like Loksatta. If a prof misses a lecture i want to know about it, if the director's son buys a new underwear i want to know about it. Lets get into their lives people."

The Next "Sub-Prime" Crisis

Ever wonder which is the next crisis which could jeopardize the world's economy.

Well Peter Schiff writing for www.prudentbears.com points out it could very well be the credit card. The US credit card debt now stands at a whopping $957 billion or $3000 per American.(The sub-prime market is $1 trillion in comparison.)

There is a change in the behavior of American consumers. Credit cards earlier were used for unavailable cash and purchases were made over a period of time. But now the credit card is used for availing credit and is used for everyday purchases.

Also now-a-days credit card companies have increased the credit limit and the repayment period. Still what makes it worse is the inflation. Credit card users are just postponing the payments made at higher prices and compounding it with high interest.

Let's just hope that the American consumer repays his debt.

Time of Our Life.

This song has found a whole new meaning for me. It describes exactly as to what i am going through-the sorrow of change, the loss of a friend and the sadness of leaving college friends behind.

Listen to it.It's added in my playlist.

"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)"

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

RIP DP

Life's so fragile.

I lost one of my close friend Daidipya in a road accident.He was on his way home from college. Our college had just ended and everyone were looking forward to the journey ahead. There is so much of excitement,anxiety as I look and try to see what life has in store for me.I am sure DP felt the same way.

Sometimes God seems unfair and unkind.He should have protected him.

I came to know about this incident from my friend Ketan. It was quarter to 12. i was lazily browsing on the net and relishing my Butterscotch ice-cream.I have never received any call so late in the night. I got an eerie feeling.Something was wrong. Soon i felt it in his tone.I let the ice-cream melt. My hunger was gone. Next morning i couldn't listen to my Ipod.

Visiting his home was one of the most emotionally draining moments. i have been to condolence meetings before but this was different.The sheer grief and shock his family experienced is unimaginable. I hope my family never goes through this.

Everyday i am reminded of him. I am reminded of his face. It was so fresh and alive. It was like nothing had happened. Somehow i wished he would just get up.

I have learnt two truths in the last couple of days:
1. Change and death are inevitable.
2. Denial or rejection of 1 causes sorrow.

RIP buddy!

We do things differently.

Its been exactly one month since my last post. Been busy with my final year project(not joking).
So heres a good article i read in TOI. I found it one of the best articles to come on TOI's editorial page.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/We_Do_Things_Differently/articleshow/2908280.cms

Final Year Project

During the initial years at VJTI i was in complete awe of "FINAL YEAR PROJECTS" and looked forward to them in eager anticipation. What is that i am going to create? What brilliant,state of the art project am i going to involved in which is going to be the amalgam and symbol of my 4 years of engineering education.
I perceived them to be highly cerebral, path-breaking and arduous tasks engaged in by highly knowledgeable students who are at the pinnacle of engineering brillance and who are overflowing with knowledge , curiosity and skills and are guided by an equally knowledgeable mentor. I thought we are going to spent nights brainstorming over cups of coffee with our mentor who knew us by our names and treated us like colleagues.

But I also was pretty dumb and naive at that time.

Here's a look at our conversations with the mentor:

Day: Monday
Time 3.00 pm
Location: Corridor

Us: Sir we are from final year tronix. You are our mentor.(This is the starter whether its over the phone or face-to-face.)

Theres a delay in response as he tries to recollect.

Mentor:Ummmmm..Aaaaahhhh. Okkkayy you are the "stateflow" guys(know us by our names!!). I will talk to someone in the industry(wooow industry hmmmm..the "mecca" of all engineers) and we can do something practical.(woow practical hmmm..im drooling man).

Us: Ok thank you sir.

Day: Tuesday
Time: 2.00 pm
Location: Corridor

Us: Sir we are from final year troninx. You are our mentor.

Delay.

Mentor: I have a lecture right now. You meet me later.

Us: Ok sir

After 2 hours...

Day: Tuesday
Time: 4.00 pm
Location: Corridor

Us: Sir we are from final year tronix. You are our mentor.

Delay again

Mentor: Yes??

Us: Sir you were going to talk to someone from the industry.

Mentor: Yes Yes im going to speak to him. I will call you guys(yeah right!!). Dont worry we will do something.

Us:Ok thank u sir.

I am not making up this shit. You cant make up this shit. It really happens.

Now lets take a look at our project group discussions. Our project grp consists of goyal,ketan, guy from karjat whazz is name yeah nikhil(he he ) and and yeah thats it.

No wait theres pakya too.Five of us.
I will now let the pictures do the talking.
Venue: Goyal's room.






























(At this point we are discussing as to what is a reverse swing?? anyone??)

So what if our discussions dont center around technical STUFF, so what if we dont actually create something path-breaking(its not the end of the world).
So what if our mentor doesnt know our names, so what if we always meet him in the corridors, so what if there are no brainstromings over cup of coffee. so what??

I still have my HEALTH.

Times they are toh changinng..

Its the last semester and man does it feel wierd. So many things have changed from the first semester.
Heres what my schedule looked like in 1st sem:

7.00 am:Get up

8.15 am:Leave home for college.

9.00am:Reach VJTI

9am-4pm:Attend lectures and lab.

5.30pm:Reach home.

7pm: Study.

And now...

7.45am: Get up

8.45: Leave for college.

9.30am:Reach VJTI.

9.30-11.15 am:Lect/Lab

11.15-1pm- Project work(basically downloading movies from goyal's LAN)

2-3pm:Chilling out

5.30pm:Reach home

6pm:watch recently downloaded movie

7pm:Still watching

8pm :Still watching

9pm:Start watching a new movie/Update blog.


As i said its a weird feeling. With the impending SP Jain results and Deloitte/Wipro VLSI jobs waiting at the end of the semester its tough to be in the present and not think of the future. But at the same time i cant help feeling nostalgic and delve into the past. Anyway life's going to change and its going to change in a BIG way.One way or the other.

I have lost the motivation to pick up a book and study. Got screwed in all papers but some how it doesnt matter. Thankfully mid-sems are now a thing of the past.

Watching movie has become an integral part of my life. I have watched

Jodha Akbar
Michael Clayton
Oceans 13
Bourne ultimatum
Bee's movie
American gangster
Borat
Thank you for Smoking
The usual suspects
The Good German
Swordfish
Good Will Hunting

in the last 10 days. And there are many more which i dont even remember.

Its 9pm. Time to watch the next movie.