Operation Welcome: "Newlywed Lady wife"

Well...Somehow this entire post vanished into thin air...Wonky Blogger.com !!!
"The Operation-Newly wed Lady Wife"...So am putting it in black and white again... :) Here goes...

In the Army, wives of officers are treated with great respect, so much so that you would find very senior officers calling wives of young lieutenants as "Maam"....The entry into the folds of Army of a Lady from a non Army background is really dramatic....In my tenure in Tenga valley (AP, near Tawang), we had a newly maried North-east couple...... Maam didn't know Sir before mrg.....they'd been married for around 25 odd days. I, being the most efficient :) youngster was entrusted with the welcome plan...Here are the excerpts...

Actors: Myself as sahayak (helper), another lady officer (Now mentioned as LO)as Dhobin (washerwoman)
Required: acting skills (not much), a love letter drafted by me (from a girl), timing and luck !!
Self- wearing white PT shoes and a jawan's working dress.

Modus Operandi:

1000hrs: Told by my senior officer to chalk out a plan
1200hrs: Liaison with the LO....brief outline
1330hrs: Sir n maam arrive...Sir is requested to get down at the gate and meet the commanding officer while maam is escorted to the Officers Mess, to their accomodation where I am waiting.

Shock 1:
1400hrs: I receive her and start settling the luggage. While clearing some documents, I inadvertently come across a "Letter"......read it and slyly (but in full view of maam), try to keep it in....(Converting the conversation to English...)
Maam: What is tht bhaiya? (A helper is called a "bhaiya" by n offr's wife)
Me: Memsaab, Nothing !! (try to deliberately hide it)
Maam: Show it to me
Me (takes it over 2 her reluctantly)
She reads it n GOSH !! Itz a letter from Sir's Girlfriend saying that she still misses the beautiful time they've spent together and words to that effect....dumbfounded!!

Shock 2:
1440hrs: In comes the dhobin (LO) with Sir's old clothes...she takes them out one by one (actually mine n LO's)...a combat shirt..white shirt..trouser...Oops !! a salwaar-suit
Maam: Whose is this ? (Shocked)
LO: How do I know?
Me: Memsaab, some of sir's friends used to come over, might be of one of them
(with a serious face !!)
Maam, (Shocked...chinki eyes wide open...whatz happening here ??)
goes n sits outside...

1530hrs: Maam is still waiting outside while i stand next to her awaiting orders...
Maam: You don't look like a helper (Ohhh...dude say something stupid)...till where have u studied?
Me: Memsaab...till 8th
Maam: Where is he ? (The officer)
Me: Memsaab, he had a lot of good friends here (achhi dost thii), might have gone to meet them.

I'm feeling sleepy...as seen in the pic above, all the rooms were on a downward slope...my room was the one immediately below sir's...the last one (in d pic), made up n excuse...
Me: Maam I'll be working in this officer's room, call me if u need anything

Shock 3: 1700hrs: I come out..Maam is still sitting outside....in the same state of shock...couple of days into d mrg...new colours coming out ...Lolzzz
The LO's room was above sir's n she had to go to office in the evening..she came out n rushed down the road....
Maam: Isn't she the dhobin who had come?
Me: (with a gulp n a sly smile) Yes Memsaab, she is "known" to that officer :) :)
I could see the shock on her face.....it was 1800hrs.... her husband was no where....goodness what was going on there...... there was no mobile communication in that hilly area....couldn't call up home...just waiting....

Shock 4:
1830hrs: Message conveyed to her that the First lady (Commanding officer's wife) would be taking her interview and she has to be in combat dress (Never happened...Ever !!)
Well, she was given sir's combat dress, ranks (appellates) and sent for the interview
1930hrs: First lady asks so many questions about her knowledge about the Army that Maam breaks up n starts crying !! Operation called off with immediate effect!!

Then maam was told about the entire prank....was escorted by other officers to her room where sir was waiting...She couldn't believe it till she actually saw myself and the Lady officer arriving in the formal dress for the party. She was like: "I told you na, you didn't look like a sahayak". Maam treasured that "love letter" and showed it to me whenever we met....

Pleasent memories galore...

ciao ppl
ciao life

Good Ol' Iffy life...

Rewinding my life by three years, same date, same time....I’ve just come back from evening classes in the Faculty of Instruments training, EME School Baroda...have given a presentation on ‘Time management’ in the morning...doing well professionally, doing well in the course, enjoying the life in Army, enjoying life!! ....

4.5 hours from now, am gonna have an accident that’s gonna turn the tide by 180 degrees...gonna take me off the planet for a minute n bring me back....Have no idea whatsoever... I keep saying, “Life is Iffy”....guess what!! Life is Iffy....One year down the line I was confused about the future, 2 yrs down the line I was going to ISB, and 3^rd year, here I am....

Just a casual thought that came back today to commemorate d accdnt anniversary....Today I’ve turned "3"....My second B'day....Lolzzzz....

Ciao ppl !!

Ciao Life !!

Expectations in life...Indifference

While doing probabilities in the Quantitative methods subject here, came across a realization which I could prove using conditional probability. In life (in general) and in all our relationships, be it between siblings, friends, peers, lovers, relatives or anybody; expectation from the other person plays a big role, which at times becomes the cause of disappointment. You go-do something out-of-the-way for a close friend, when time comes he/she doesn’t reciprocate, you feel bad…..You have feelings for someone and show it, doesn’t get reciprocated, you feel bad….you work hard for an assignment and expect cooperation from your peers….don’t get it… don’t get a good result either, feel bad….You help out a stranger in a difficult situation and when you need help from another stranger in another situation, no one comes forward---feel bad….

My point is, we should NOT...NEVER EXPECT. Sometimes you help someone and expect at least a courtesy 'thanks'…when you don’t get that (maybe because the person forgot or not used to saying it), you feel bad….don’t do so…welcome it but don’t expect a ‘Thanks’....it shouldn't matter. You love your GF (/BF) unconditionally with all your heart and expect the same from her (/him), many a times that doesn’t happen….don’t do that you’re the one who’s getting hurt. Herez my calculation that by assigning more weightage to "Not expecting" from other ppl, you improve your “Happy:Unhappy” (probability)ratio from 1:1 to 2:1 (Click the diagram on top left for proof). Life is very small and Life is very iffy, as I keep saying.... doesn’t make sense in feeling bad n waste even a second in doing so when you can avoid it. So people, stay happy-be wise-do what you are doing-but do NOT expect...be indifferent...

ciao ppl...
ciao life...

Inspiration for a book....

It feels great whenever I meet someone on whom I have had some sort o’ impact. The other day I’d gone to a dentist for a check-up and after the meet, it seems he got inspired to write a book on the varied inspiring stories he had come across in his career. Went over his script..; it seems he had been mulling over this idea for some time and I think especially after seeing d interview n then meeting me in person et al, he got the final signal [ at the cost of sounding immodest :) :) ]

Feels as though this way I’m partly serving the purpose of this second life- giving an external support, ray of hope and getting out d confidence in-self from as many people as I can....Anywayz, placement season is over…..ain’t not feeling like going back to the era of quizzes galore…thtz the way it is though !!! :) :)

BTW ppl herez a one liner….Life can be a bouquet of roses, as long as you are willing to handle the thorns attached !!

Ciao ppl !!
Ciao life !!

Few hrs to breathe....

Finally a few days to breathe....when you say that there is a break at IIM A it just means that there aren't any classes....thatz it !!
Lolz...the time has been scheduled to fall in line with the summer placements and that's whatz "in the air" these days...so much for the vacation :) :)

BTW Happy Diwali to all and sundry....
"Have time,will think...." n the wonky mind takes the time machine to the past to another Diwali day when everything was Okay...."perfect" would be the mot juste for that time frame
Frankly speaking, given a choice between going back to the Diwali when I was in the Army n was having the love of my life, and the Diwali when I'm at IIM A...I'd rather go back. But given a choice between the best of your past n the present, wouldn't we all not ?
So, No big deal !! ain't something special....
So my 'practical side' says..."Dude...reminisce the past.... but you have interviews after 72hrs.....better come back asap n live the present"


ciao ppl !!
ciao life !!

Livin' today...

Long time ppl…this term was supposed to be less grilling as compared to d first one… (coz we’re already used to d deadlines n stuff)…now, on with the internship blues with interviews round the corner for next summers. Literally no time to reminisce or work on the lines of the ‘Non Blondes song’ (here)

So I wake in the morning and I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
What's goin' on
And I say hey....
And I say hey what's goin' on !

Still trying to delve into where my interests lie….. seems like am falling into an abyss, not sure wht the end has in store for me. But whteva d end might be, d modus operandi is: Live today as if there’s no 2moro. Tht in no way implies just enjoy, but work towards my self-fulfillment such that at the end of d day, when I look back (If I do…), there sholudn’t b a moment spent on an event I regret upon later. Simply put (less the jargon…) If you study, study hard…play, play hard…chat, talk your heart out….sleep, have a sound sleep (love this part:) ) n words to tht effect…

Ciao ppl

Ciao life

Benchmark 1: Gusshow ppl....

Well Well Well,
The counter crossed the 10,000 mark today (since March,when it started)...
Not a big thing though,but it's one of those-
"Small things in life, that matter"...made me smile !!

Throughout this time ppl (most of the time, invisible....) have gone out of their way to give their opinion on d varied events in these months...accident n beyond....d love story...IIM'A-ISB dilemma...d break up....Leaving ISB for IIM'A....the supposed patch-up n status quo thereafter.....et al.
Still remember the day when 2 days after my breakup I was giving advice to an Indian living in (I think.....dn't remember) Australia who had had a big time break up recently....
I would like to take this post as an opportunity to thank everyone for their best wishes for whatever I have right now....
Feels great to know that in some way I might have motivated someone or shown that:
Be it a physical or emotional breakdown...d world does not end, It starts from a new benchmark !!
At the cost of repeating yet again, Shit does happen and its OKAY !! Part of life, happens.... The first question that should come to d mind is...
(figuratively speaking) Do you wipe it off or keep cursing life for it.
We always have a choice- Good or Bad, Yes or No, Be Glad/ Sad,
'tz upto us to choose and Live with it... So go ahead ppl,
Rock thy world n thy world shalt rock with thou !!

Ciao ppl !!
Ciao life !!

Rest and recup

Well, survived d first term...back home for 4days, for 'rest and recup' as we say in Army b4 the next OP....
I wuz wondering the other day, these one liners mean a lot different to different people....different perspective....eyes of the beholder (as they say).
Our Shirt @ IIM A says : "Don't you wish you were here?"
There were times when d pressure made us say:"Oops !! What have I landed myself into..."

At NDA the one liner was: "Do you have it in you?"
And, yes there were times when d mind said: "Well...I thought I had...."

.....a lighter take on things..... just a food for thought !!
Newayz, must say the Profs here are one of d best of the best in d country....different ways of teaching......some take a humorous n practical route:
"Marriage is good because it internalizes the costs of some of our basic needs." Complete argument in Tanuj's blog
"For a poor man, buying a CAT application gives same utility as buying a Lottery ticket !!"

And yet others tk a stringent one:
"No, you are not late...You're early for the next class...Please go back"
Lolzzz !!
Of course, it was great being there n looking forward to break sweat yet again....

ciao ppl
ciao life

P.S. DearLife, I'm prepared for the next upheaval....veneva...

Where do I-where do I go....from here

Saw “Crimson Tide” & “A few good men” back 2 back...This was what I was supposed to do in life…This was what I was trained in the academies for….All the rules and protocols which you have to necessarily follow- right or wrong…chain of command…code of conduct.…medals hanging on your chest…salutes& respect….d life in Army was the love of my life and now I’m sitting in IIM Ahmedabad mugging Economics, Accounting and HR.

Fate !!

Wonky Fate !!

I’m in the wrong place I know that, but now that the first option is impossible maybe the second best option is the only choice…I analyzed the situation using criteria learnt here…

-Problem statement: Develop interest in civil sector as a whole
-Options: Don’t have any other
-Criteria for evaluation: Effect on Immediate future-Decision: Go ahead dude, Ain’t got no choice !!

Get back to mugging up…..

Ciao ppl….

Ciao life…

Assumption and interpretation:

Over time, I’ve observed and now learnt in black n white at IIM A- How much assumptions and interpretations can change the total case scenario. It is a natural human tendency – “Given a situation- what might have happened, You assume what you want to assume”. Taking my own example I didn’t have factual knowledge of what actually happened when the break-up n the unfortunate events thereafter happened.

As people were giving opinions, I was drawing a picture of what must have happened. Assuming Ms. D to be totally at fault, the picture was quite bad…I assumed it to be bad because she had acted that way.

After a month or so, I started rationalizing…had forgotten the incident…busy with studies….assumed that there must be some logical reason behind her action of betrayal…when she called up after 4 months to tell the truth….assumed her to be speaking the truth because that’s what I wanted to assume… Agreed to b a good friend to her…It turned out, the “Lady” had lied again….Anywayz….

My point is, given an incident esp. in which we judge a person, we mustn’t jump to conclusions immediately….Itz imp 2 undrstnd that our interpretation of the incident might be based on what we want to believe at that very moment….a matter of perception….varies !!

The mind is a wonky person…It/he chooses that route for interpretation that is most favourable to it…If you have feelings for someone and he/she says...."Lets go for a long ride....."

People W A T C H O U T !! It may/may not mean....

Plz remember- We assume what we wanna assume !!

----Issued in public interest !!

Ciao ppl

Ciao Life !!

Game theory in our daily lives...

Going thru the upcoming topics in syllabus, I chanced upon the Game theory. Suddenly there was a connection between what was happening and my approach to it. It has wide implications,but what Game theory essentially states is-
"If you you know the strategy of your competitor, you work towards maximizing your profits...
If you don't know your opponent's strategy, than try to minimize your losses".

Lets take "Life" per se to be our competitor...(As I keep saying) Life is iffy (uncertain),You never know when Life is gonna pull your plug* (we don't know the competitor's moves), so try to enjoy each and every moment and live it to the fullest (By being sad, you incur losses on yourself, right?? Minimize it...)
Like the song goes...If tomorrow never comes....

Am sounding philosophical coz mid term exams got over today and this wonky mind felt like "thinking something"...Lolzzz n Lolzzz again

But thtz the way it is- Reminisce the past, plan for future, but you are alive, Live TODAY !!

ciao ppl
ciao Life


*Term derived from "The Matrix" (in effect means, "action of Quietus...dying"} )

No Limit to human endurance...

At NDA we got to learn in those three years that there is no limit to human endurance…we used to go on n on walking/ running/ at midnight…as we used to say...It's all in the mind…Juz like Arnold’s dialogue- “You gotta do what you gotta do….”

At IIM’A I’ve experienced a new version of the hypothesis…the day actually starts at midnight…like that song…”Is raat ki subah nahi…”…have group meets 1 to 2, et al….
And to think I was so happy after joining NDA that there’ll be no more acads in life… Lolzzz

Got my Dorm name…”RiFle”…tht’ll b my pseudo name for life…And no, the reason for tht name is not d Army thingie, there is something else….{which I can’t disclose…Lolzzz n lolzz again}
Had a proper oath taking ceremony where the supposed title was conferred upon d fachchas…

Lots of studies in life….itz just 0315hrs…I can still cover up d never-ending backlog for another hour or so….n those words keep resonating…”miles to go before I sleep….”

Ciao ppl
Ciao life !!

Time paucity @ IIM A

Life is in flow at IIM A...We are actually experiencing multi tasking…prioritizing, there’s so much to do-today’s class, 2moroz class, Dormitory meeting by senior batch, arbitrary forms to be filled…and only so much time…Lolzzz

Classes are case based, tht entails analysis of d same beforehand. The day begins at 0730hrs and ends at 0400hrs, sans fail!!
Catchin on some precious moments in the land of nod in d aftn…
No wonder, the senior batch is used to sleeping less…And of course this is the beginning of the beginning…By the time it is 0100hrs, you actually quote that line to yourself…
“And miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep…”

Still not been introduced to the world of “Assignments galore”…
Am actually enjoying this experience…work better under pressure…

Lolzzz…

NDTV/CNN: Fame Galore!!

Had my first TV interview today…After the tryst with quietus comes the tryst with media!!

In the afternoon, at around 1230hrs, collected few of the preppies for the shot in the class. NDTV, CNN IBN, Zee and a few other correspondents had come to cover the story…tht was followed by my intvw,n a statement from Amol, my batchmate.

Felt great to be d part of a TV shoot, actually the cynosure!! Though CNN twisted the accident part of the story a bit,it came off well…All in all, past two days were ripping…firstly seeing self on the front page of TOI, followed by seeing self on the News at the Prime time slot...

Took the chance to acknowledge the fact that I had to uphold the image of NDA wherever I go, so it had to be either IIM A or ISB. Must say, the channels did a good job and except for minor flaws here and there, the show came off just fine!!

NDTV video:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLrWI9vlJps

 Herez d commentary of CNN IBN:(No link for the video) http://www.ibnlive.com/news/armyman-fights-against-all-odds/43286-3.html

Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Disabled_soldier_makes_it_to_IIM-A/articleshow/2128665.cms

Life is iffy!! Very much Iffy.
Ciao ppl
Ciao Life

Times Of India Article On Moi

Well Well Well !!
24 hours of fame galore!!

An article was published in today’s Ahmedabad edition of Times of India. By the end of the day, I came to know that it also came out in the national edition...
Another bout of Intangible happiness!!
There were some discrepancies in what I said and what actually came out in black and white. But, that’s okay…Small things in life…hardly matter!!

It was a great feeling…getting messages/scraps/mails from people I’d never known before...

It's interesting in one way, I can not afford to be pessimistic anymore...Lolzzz...though there's never a reason why I would ever have...
That's my take on life!! I choose to live life as it comes...Just as we all should!!

This is the article:
Article

Another snap of d paper:
Clipping

My Pagalguys commenting on the article…
Comments

A big thanks to all and sundry, for helping me in getting to start the climb up this ladder...Life keeps showing new colours every now and then...."Life is Iffy"

Ciao ppl
Ciao Life!!

Humor of the day...

We are having these corporate presentation classes these days, wherein a group presents on a corporate house for 12mins, followed by feedback on the performance by the class and the instructor…
This Group had a presentation today: Good, well covered, but too much emphasis on history, wherein the slide and info was repeated quite a few times…
The feedback session was going on with full sincerity n seriousness where in came a one-liner from Sirpy@Chimp…great timing dude...

Instructor:Guys, You overshot your time and had a number of repetitions…couple of points in the History of the company were repeated and were redundant…
Chimp(with d typical South-Indian accent): Ma'am, “History repeats itself!!”

Lolzzz…

Operation Cake Attack @ IIM'A

Prep course is going on juz fine…trying to enjoy in anticipation of what is about to come…the senior batch has joined, as of yesterday…Good lot!! Yet to interact with most of 'em
Ystrday we celebrated the 2^nd b’day of d batch…there was a tiny incident which deserves this entry….

1200hrs: The normal tradition of putting cake over d B’day boy was followed, followed by the B’day bumps and kicks…One of my batchmates, aka Teja was a tad too interested in the ‘putting cake’ part n the kicking part…lolzzz…soon there were cake pieces coming on to the faces of almost all and sundry…big mess!!

1230hrs: Finally someone realized tht he was all clean n dry, so there began a chase with d (now) victim running at top speed in d dorm garden…finally he escaped...didn't go to his room though, anticipating the next move of ppl...

0130hrs: The remaining guys n gals had formulated a plan to do the needful n the plan was initiated…

0200hrs: One of the supposed trustable fellow in d class (Sirpy aka Chimp) called him up n asked him 2 come to his room for d movie they had planned 2 see previously (telgu)…the gals also seconded, n he was convinced tht everything was over….

0215hrs: He started walking to Sirpy’s room, all washed,clean n dried up,new clothes,et al... oblivious to what lied ahead…n in army terms, Lo n behold!!…it was a perfect Ambush!! An attack with cake in hand from all directions…All in good spirit of course, Great fun though!!…at least for the Ambush
party...Lolzzz

For the WIMWIans, the details 've been posted by Akanksha at the IIMA09-blog here.

Witnessing the fun part of being at IIM'A, coz soon there ain't be no time for ne!! Lolzzz

The Panacea

Some songs speak out d emotions in our heart so much that you fall in love with them. Whenever asked, I never remove the contribution of that “element” in d present success. But for obvious reasons, also come across the difficult situation of explaining the- when, how and why that “element” did, what it did...

Here’s where the songs come in to satiate the wonky mind…
(can b downloaded from the links provided…)

Firstly- “10,000 promises” by B Boys(2000)…lovely lyrics… we had once heard this song together n promised tht none of us will have to sing this ever…
Broken Promise!! Lolzzz....10000 promises...

Then- “Lips of an Angel”-Hinder(Mike-2006)..Itz about a guy singing to his “ex-”, both feel that they have not actually moved-on in life…not happy with the current reltnshp…remember each other….It gives a bit of hope, not for getting back together…but for life in general…ain’t the only guy with a story...Lolzzz....

Followed by “White Flag” -Dido(2003), it’s the gal’s perspective of a broken reltnshp…again, very touchin, as if thatz wht tht element is singin out…
Excerpt:

-And when we meet ,Which I'm sure we will
All that was then ,Will be there still
-I'll let it pass ,And hold my tongue
And you will think ,That I've moved on…..

I will go down with this ship….

Lastly, the latest one…I wonder if this song was destined to be released in this period…Justin Timberlake- "What goes around comes back around”

I’ll quote the ending lines which puts the onus of deciding the retribution on d one above…
Excerpt:

-You spend your nights alone, And he never comes home
And every time you call him, All you get's a busy tone
-I heard you found out, That he's doing to you
What you did to me, Ain't that the way it goes
-You cheated girl, My heart bleeds girl
So it goes without saying that you left me feeling hurt
-Just a classic case, scenario…
Tale as old as time, Girl you got what you deserved

-And now you want somebody, To cure the lonely nights
You wish you had somebody, That could come and make it right
-But girl I ain't somebody with a lot of sympathy, You'll see
-What goes around comes back around...I thought I told ya…

So, it’s not for us to fretter over a wrong-doing or the do-er… ‘coz, what goes around comes back around...Guess whatz my blood group..."B+ve" Lolzzz... Be Positive....

Ciao ppl...
Ciao Life...

The 'equation' of life

Mulled over a new realisation this weekend. While lying down at d beach and looking at the open sky...with the stars on that moon-lit night, and while looking at the exquisite figurine of clouds below me on d flight back to IIM'A...

There was this feeling of- there is so much that I've not seen of life.The ambit of Life is intagible..there are so many facets-unseen, so many things-not done till now. At times, the morale goes down, due to whatsoever reasons...n we do feel tht life sucks!! But I guess in the quadratic equation of life, 'Life' per se is 'constant' and how we deal with it, is the 'variable' factor in it...Whether v put +ve or -ve value in these variables is upto r'self!!

V just can NOT let one odd setback let d attitude go wonky, I guess thtz what they mean when oldies say- "You need a change of climate", n newbies say- "Get a life dude!!"..essentially, wht they're saying is...therz so much to do in life, Go after it...not away from it!!

Trying to understand "Life"!!

All India PagalGuy Meet

Just came back from the "meet" of the century...AIPGM 2007, at Alibaug,Mumbai.
It was simply awesome, n words redolent to the same!!

Suddenly the pagals with whom I had been interacting right through this journey to Ahmdbd...took shape!!
Met the "PagalGuy, aka Allwyn" himself...d creator of PG, all the moderators(who pull the plug on wonky threads), n so many pagals...

't Felt nice....actually getting acknowledged for my work on d "Thread for Sentence Correction" in the CAT era...SC Guru..lolzzz

45+ Pagals at the beach, playin, goin into d waves...partyin hard...lying on d beaches under the full moon n discussing everything under the sun (Oxymoron!!) Living life to the fullest!!
Didn't seem for a sec tht most of us were meeting for d first time...

Great weekend!!

Joined IIM'A finally.....

Went for one day to Baroda, EME School (where tht accident took place)…d officers were more than happy to see d way things have turned up…proudly introduced me to d newly posted senior officers…rise of the phoenix...lolzz

Finally, landed at the IIM’A ystrday… feeling G R E A T right now…number of courses going on at the same time….the place is Stupendous (with a capital ‘S’) with the famous architectural work and ginormous campus….However, at the first sight of the room…did miss the 5-star culture of ISB for a sec…But again as I said earlier, both the schools run differently n are in different places...there can't b any comparisons…. Maybe this is how d rooms of all B-schools r generally…The place is rockin though...waiting for the seniors 2 come bck 4m their internship....BTW I know, the faculty n the kind of rigour I’ll undergo here will more than make up for this cultural shock…Met a few Profs here today...excellent lot!! Apparently first year guys are called "Fachchas/Fachchis" and 2nd yr guys..."Tuchchas/Tuchchis" :) lolzzz...

Have been invited by Pagalguy.com for the All India PagalGuy meet (AIPGM) in Mumbai this Sat-Sun….almost fully financed…quite an honour….will b flying 2 mumbai n spend d weekend with the "great pagals"

Disclaimer: Again, tht comment is my personal opinion as per my lifestyle n my liking and in no way concludes any argument in particular...this place rocks!!

Intangible happiness…

There is an odd sense of belonging in dis cyberspace. Few months back, I was a neophyte in this arena, and now I have an identity of my own. I googled “Rajat Mishra” d other day and right on d first page there were two entries of mine :) ... It gave an intangible sense of beatitude and contentment. Then I googled another keyword “rajat_nda” (my pseudo name everywhere) and there were 10 full pages dedicated to me, mainly on www.pagalguy.com (my mentor)…

I think there are two kinds of ‘small things’ in life:
1. Small things in life…,hardly matter !!
2. Small things in life…, that matter !!

As of now, this comes in the second category...Maybe three years from now it would fall back to the first...But the point is: This supposedly ‘small thing’ made me happy!! Yesterday one of my (newly-made) friends working in Google told me to google “Rajat Mishra” or “Rajat’s life”…
Lo and behold!!
There my blog was... “sponsored by google”...the very first link...My very own ‘30 secs of fame’ (actually 24hrs!!)

Life is iffy, agreed and we may not write our own destiny, but materializing it is in our own hands. That being the case, and the kind of pressure all of us work in, if a small incident gets that innocent unconscious smile on our face…nothing like it !!

Ciao life!!

Two cents dedicated to 'Dear Life'

Dear ‘Life’,

You took me up, you brought me down,
When the ship broke up, you said- “Don’t drown”.

I carried on, I swam along,
Evinced tenacity, made up an imbuing song.

I won’t give up ‘Life’, I won’t let go,
You taught me so, and for that, I do bow.

You may again raze my ship ‘Life’, or becloud every dawn,
All I would say is- “Shit happens and Life goes on”.

Yours truly
Rajat

{My suppposedly first composition!!}

Confounding thoughts...galore

This transition phase…gap between ISB n joining IIM’A is a tad difficult to handle. I thought I had already “Forgotten and Forgiven”, but it seems it isn’t so. ISB had made sure tht I didn’t get much time 2 think about her. But now I have a plethora of that, at least till 25th. I have definitely not forgotten the infidelity part.

Then the mind wanders to the land of “What if...”, We could have been so happy together, celebrating my success…planning for the marriage....It was supposed to be just like a run of the mill love story- “problems initially…villain comes in…love takes stand, problems taken care of…get married…The end”

Then the wonky heart says, never mind….talk to her, at least maintain the friendship…But the mind vetoes the statement…
Friendship---> Love, Okay!!
Love---> Friendship, NO, Never!!
I had said earlier, “Better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved ever”, but I have my reservations now. I wonder if the feeling of ‘treachery’ from someone you were in love with was worth, the feeling of ‘being loved’ by the same person.
{I think it's okay to crib...once in a while!!}
Relating to the characters from “F.R.I.E.N.D.S."... I was like ‘Ross’, trying to make his relationships work anyhow (wudn’t have got divorced thrice for tht though!!),
But now I want to be like ‘Joey’, emotionally non-attached…totally… But of course this is not reel-life. Maybe it was better to have..., Maybe not!!

Hoping never to come back to this issue again...Going to make some use of this second life now…gonna work my fingers to the bone 4 the next two years at Ahmedabad…but also, gonna enjoy every moment…Not just ‘Exist’, but ‘Live Life 2 the fullest’…

‘Life’, I’ll be living thou…

NDA...IMA...Army...ISB...IIM'A

Made the most momentous decision of my life today...A very brittle one!!
Going to spend the next two years at IIM'Ahmedabad...

After coming to ISB, I was in love with it...the campus...infra...the Faculty....my batchmates...Loved 'em all...
But thanks to the guidance of the same batchmates, few army officers--alumni of both ISB as well as IIM'A, the faculty here who was honest with their viewpoint.....took a holistic view and zeroed on to a decision after 4 sleepless nights with the head going topsy-turvy with thoughts galore!!

Lot many guys want to know why I made the choice...I must say, my decision was case-specific...Had I been in someone elses shoes, I might've stuck to ISB....here goes::::

1. I might have had a spiffing experience with the seven odd years with NDA, IMA, service in the army, etc. But I still don't have the 'buy-sell' attitude (Getting me, right??)...need some time...
2. The faculty at ISB was too good...stupendous!!, but they obviously taught with the presumption tht guyz knew wht they were talking abt, which they did...thtz where I'd missed out with no indstry exposure whatsoeva....
3. Two years at IIM'A vis-a-vis one year of squeezed-in-course here will help me in building a strong foundation for the (supposedly) long life ahead...
4. Since the Asso Dean himself agreed with my decision and the school was returning 50% of the unspent fees, it made sense. As it is, as per economics..."Sunk cost should not be considered while making a rational decision" {Learnt in the first class :) }.
5. It was something like spending three years at NDA vis-a-vis spending one n a half at IMA (Army offrs would understand the diff). Though in this case, ISB was at par with IIM'A.

Will always remember the time spent at ISB and the friends made here...for life!!

Class of 2008 rocks!!
ISB rocks!!

IIM'A Class of 2009 here I come.....
.

Made it to IIM'A also

Ookie then...finally I do get to choose...after a loooong wait IIM'A declared d results, made it to the the 2yr PGP....
I choose to stay put at ISB...not only because I've paid half the money and the ripping faculty n infrastructure, but because of a new factor tht I realised only after joining...

My peers here r a great bunch.....each and everyone is an achiever...diverse profiles..diverse work ex...selected lot...feels great to b here.....

So, finally...I am back up on tht (supposed) lifeboat, makin the choice of ISB and ready for the next jump (letz hope there aren't many left...)...

.

kehna Hai...at ISB

Sang my first solo outside the army atmosphere tonight...

Had "Talent night"...Till 3hours before the program there was no scene of a song.....there were no instruments.....so took a leap n went ahead with the song taking it for granted tht the audience willl support me with claps :))
Had tried this before, but...had no idea about an old song on this audience!! Sang "Kehna Hai" by Kishore da!!

Just remembered the good ol' times when things were still new with her during the song....felt the pinch one time...but, life goes on- right?
Came out pretty fine....100%response...The program got a headstart n ppl here r a talented lot....n excellent program from the top-notch of the country..... in my batch :))

Alumni did a great job during the "Orientation week"...thnx guyz!!
Feels great to b at ISB!!
[Monday onwards classes start....maybe wn't feel tht great to b here then,though :)) ]
.

Life and "The boat"

Life at ISB is awesome....at least in this orientation week....Lots n Lots of Networking with ppl (and forgetting their names the next day!! :))
I'd be the part of "career-shift" guyz out here...

The way things are taking turn, it seems like life keeps throwing me off the boat...gives me an opportunity to board a life boat, n throws me overboard yet again...d circle goes on and on and on....Itz on me to decide whether I want to make the extra effort to catch tht life boat or just give up n go down....

Newayz, Monday the classes start...Right now everything from Finance, to accounting to statistics seems "German"...hopefully by next year, I'll be back as an alumnus to give the so-called "gyan" to the junior course n talk as if I've been speaking the mngmnt lingo since birth :)

.

Joined ISB on 14th !!

.
't seems Destiny has made the right decision 4 me....Was a bit confounded with the A results being procrastinated...I broke sweat to mk d decision...Newayz, ISB was my Plan A when I left the army...So here I am..the first stepping stone on the second ladder tht I'll b climbing...
Joined ISB yesterday n the place is spectacular...b it the infrastructure, faculty or the peer group level...
Waiting to have a very enriching experience hereon...

.

Destiny strikes again !!

.
If what is happening, is what you wanted.... Be Happy, 'coz thatz wht you wanted for yourself...
If what is happening, is NOT what you wanted, Be Happier, 'coz thatz wht God wanted for you...

Govt has put a stay on IIM'A (and other)results.... they've been postponed... So Destiny strikes again n makes another decision for me...It's not done...I was supposed to make the decision, though it might have been in favour of ISB or mayb IIM'A..i Don't know...., but I would have made d decision...
Won't get to know by 12th Apr, n will be leaving tht day to join the ISB on 14th April !!
ISB.... here I come. . . .

Sh*t Happens...Life goes on...

.
Sometimes I feel…Why Me?? Why do all the bad things happen to me only?? But then that is the case with everyone of us on this planet. All of us ask, at some point of time…Why me?? I guess everyone has his share of sorrow and happiness… The only way one can move on with life is, look at the brighter side of our sorrows…. So what if my love cheated on me for a few months before going(just came to know....prefer not to explicate), at least she made sure that I didn’t know about it till I took the ISB and IIM’A interview….She actually cared about me that way… So what If I had that accident, I’m at least walking, talking, singing and have cut the mustard to choose between ISB and IIM’A…I think It’s on us, to decide which part of the half-filled glass we want to see...

People say, “Life goes on”, but NO, it does not go on till the time you realize what Tom Hanks said in the movie -Forrest Gump… “Shit Happens”…once u realize this, Life actually goes on, you leave the past behind and say… “Sh*t does happen…let me move on now…”
We should live every moment n enjoi everyday as the last day of our life n there’ll be no regrets whtsoeva…thtz how mez gonna live I guess...Life goes on...n on...n on...
.

Better to have loved and lost than never to have. . .

25 March 2007
Well, itz almost official that we have broken up…her parents…conservative n orthodox pahadi that they are (with all due respect) are not going to agree ever…n family takes priority…did everything I could to convince them…but it seems, for them everyone whoz not from Dehradun is an Alien n dies after one year… how outmoded can people be…wanted to say, “People grow up!!”…lolz… mez single again…it was so good to be in love though…

. Being in love… very abstruse to be described in words…involves lot of joy, satisfaction, pain, jealousy,eternal bliss n peace galore!! Oxymoron!! It was such a spiffing feeling to know that someone out there cared for you n would always be there for you in the future… irrespective of whatever…Nice to visualise someone in your mind when you hear- “You took my heart away...” Lucky are those, who fall in love…Luckier are those who marry the ones they fall in love with…I’m at least “Lucky” that way, not “Luckier” may be…(Looking at life through rose coloured spectacles).I thank Alfred Tennyson for quoting this quote:

“Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all”

"Mussorie Nights at IMA"

"Mussorie Nights" were one of those experience which no army officer can forget...It was a sort of punishment tht all juniors went through...

The nights at IMA (Indian Military Academy) were damn cold...especially in winters where it seemed tht all d cold winds in Dehradun got accumulated n were thrashed upon the Gentlemen Cadets there...Here are the proceedings...

Imagine the coldest month...hilly areas of D'dun...any fine day the seniors used to decide...okay, time to give d kids a "mussorie night session"....The junior course used to be called at 2030hrs, after dinner...made to "front roll" n "cream roll" n "back roll" n "side roll" n this n that...it went on till around 2300hrs...after tht, we were taken (rolling of course) to the bathroom n take a shower in the damn cold water...then brought to the open ground...with the sight of Mussorie far far away on the hills...then came the "freezing" part... made to strip...save d bare minimum....and made to stand...just stand...stand in shun!!....and told to look at the lights of Mussorie n take warmth :)) Lolzzz....
All in good spirit...both d parties smiling away...ourselves lookin at our state, n seniors thinkin of their times!!
Gosh, shivering like anything...but cud not shake a feather...
If u move...another shower with more cold water n again stand outside with the wind biting into you!!
Thtz the best part of army...Rules..have to b followed, Sedition is invidious!!

Done both-taken and given "mussorie nights"
Whomsoever invented this must've had an awesome of humour!! Feels great..wht we underwent...

.

Hospital era Dec'04 to Mar'06

> An era per se…the hospital era…one year plus. Seen a lot about life in this time. People, living in d day-to-day world with a plethora of petty problems are so oblivious to d fact that they are so lucky…saw so many different health problems that can happen to a person with no rhyme or reason, tht it made me feel thankful to God…I’m still better off!!

> Had a great time, no big-time worries, had my family besides me (for a month at least), used to talk to “her” all the time while she was recuperating from her injuries. I was in Pune…down south, n herself in Dehradun…far up there…But d very fact that there was someone whom I was going to marry soon, mitigated all d pain…

> Those were d days when I had no tension about my career, no work load, no pressure of studies. Made so many friends- offrs of all ages… youngsters and retired offrs alike. Then there were “good looking visitors” who used to come n visit d plethora of offrs (since it was a Command hosp)…well, made quite a few GOOD n long term friends there (I name no names!! ).

> Was on the wheel chair for the first 5-6 months…it was a quite a sight- there was a long corridor with marble flooring, and a one handed patient with a fractured leg ,on a wheelchair used to whoosh past ppl sitting out in the evening-backwards at full speed. I was n expert on tht…an authority, used to go backwards, pushing with the other leg, n as soon as the end of d corridor used to arrive…left hand used to bring the left wheel to a stand-still and lo…the inertia of motion gave a such n effect…the wheelchair used to take a sudden 360 deg turn, n ppl used 2 look at me in amazement…Heh heh heh…quite a sight…

> In May, she recuperated and joined her unit…came to know the army code for dialing directly to Guwahati n then 2 her office…used to talk for hours…day n night…gratis…free of cost!! Good ol’ time…

> Used to sit in the eveng in the garden with senior offrs, n whenever they used to start off with- “In my times……”, v used to quietly msg a friend (looking straight ofcourse) to call up…n then “Excuse me sir”, and wheel away to freedom !!

> In one of the operations in which graft had to be taken out from my leg, docs asked me while I was in sedation, I remember telling ‘em with closed eyes… “take it from the right one…it’s off-road as it is [fractured :)]”

> Had a good rapport with the nurses [:)], many-a-times used 2 go out sans informing nebody...once I was on foot ofcourse…
During this time, was shifted from Baroda to Pune to Baroda to Delhi to Baroda to Jabalpur n finally out once d ordeal was over.

> Met an officer (I name no names!!) who lost his right arm, half his rt leg and entire left leg due to delay in evacuation while serving in Siachen. It was a gruesome sight but the smile on d face of that officer and composure of his mental self was stupendous. He added on 2 my belief in the thought that, “What’s happened has happened, your being despondent is not going to change anything…Move on…Enjoy life…Make use of what you have in hand…”

> Wrote to d chief o’ army staff tht I don’t want to leave the forces, but as they say “Rules are rules”…As Tom Hanks said in Forrest Gump- “Shit happens!!”… Decided to prepare for life outside…rest is history !!

Life @ NDA

There is so much to write, but again so much which has to be censored by me myself, lest youngsters get intimidated by d hard work involved…Newayz, letz see wht comes up in black and white.

> Its an odd feeling…now that I reminisce over the ostensibly “hard-to-get-over” 3 years at NDA. Such a big transformation- in personality, thinking, physical structure, attitude towards life, et al.
> Each of those 6 terms came with new privileges (within the squadron), new opportunities, new competitions, new headaches!!, new responsibilities and of course “added respect”. To help cadets out, there r various kinds of “Pal-funda”… “name-type pals”, “place-type pals”, “b’day type”,”face type”, “school type”…u name a common factor n approach a senior to take “Lift” veneva ure facing predicaments n embattled times.
> The first day of the first term was very iffy…had no idea what I was stepping into...Joined the Foxtrot Squadron. Within 24hours life was in a spin wherein the spinning wheel had no friction…whatsoever...The first phase consists of breaking the inherent ego tht is in d minds of guyz coming from Class XII, best part….it is not done by slapping or even man-handling for tht matter…a few cream-rolls here (read rolling on undulating ground), a few back rolls there n u come to ground level…you “unlearn” everything tht you have brought to the academy, ready to become an Officer brimming with qualities 2 b among the top-notch in whteva field one is in.

> There was so much to do- PT, running, breakfast (an event per se), classes, lunch (again an event per se), clubs, games, “moving in” (i.e. doing zillions of push-up to enter the squadron…) after the games, study period, dinner, and post dinner activities J. Thanks-fully wearing a wrist-watch was a sixth term privilege…used to just wait n wait n wait for time to pass by…no dearth in activities- riding, polo, swimming, mountain climbing, water skiing, golf, photography, firing et al.

> For all the terms, everyday was a new day, it was like somehow doing all the activities and making it to your bed safe n sound at night. Going from squadron for breakfast, breakfast to classes, going from one LH(lecture hall) to another, classes to lunch…n onwards, without getting caught by appointments, lifting up your bikes, running around poles, et al ; was a big deal!!
> The camps were tough, made us tougher- mentally n physically. It imbibed us the spirit of “ Never give up” and “Therez no limit to human endurance…none at all !!”.

> Check out some of our photos from

Wht should I join IIM'A or ISB

@Everybody, I’ve added a couple of points in this post (as on 14 May 08) according to the present situation since many people still visit this link…ATB to all of you…

> I’m in a lovely dilemma for the past few days, something for which I worked my fingers to the bone. Already paid 1.5 lakh for confirming the seat at the ISB. Got the interview of IIM’A on 22Mar…GD n PI are no big deal, If I decide to
> Thinking of the upsides and downsides of both gives me headache!! Though I have weighed my options, I feel both are at par…
Here r a few pointers:

IIM A:

+ve:
-Better reputation in d cntry vis-à-vis ISB
-2 yrs will give enough time 2 make the foundation strong (especially with my Army background)-Summer placements....will give me a taste of C world before the placement process
-Will come with 4yrs of exp (approx)
-Will have the army experience, NDA background behind me
-Cheaper than ISB by Rs 10lakh/-[Update-This point might not be very valid now (as of 2011) since the difference has come down to ~ Rs 6 lakh]
-Better alumni footprint in d cntry
-Placement almost …no need to say anything on that :)
-ve:
-A good, thoroughly studious environment vis-à-vis 5 star culture of ISB [thtz the way I want to live life :) ]
-Loose out on one year of job where the additional Rs 10lakh [Update-Now ~Rs 6 lakh] can highly b taken care of
-Peer level quality in terms of experience & work profile is comparatively a tad lower than that at ISB for obvious reasons [Update-This has also changed over the years and A has a considerable strength of people with Work Ex]

ISB+ve:- Peer level of highest quality, ppl with diverse profiles, work ex etc.
- Spiffing Faculty... prof coming from Wharton, etc.
- 5 star culture...life style...right on with my funda of "Live life while u're still alive"
- One year gets saved, especially after putting in a bit of service
- Good repute in n outside India, combined
- Good average package vis-à-vis IIM’A
- Not bound by Government regulations....
- Think on d personal front after an year.... :)
-ve:- Chances of getting a better profile in IIM A....I’ll b one of d crowd at ISB, with ppl havin exp in d corporate world, foreign assignments et al
- Companies might not know d use of luring someone with my profile coz they’ve nt seen my work out of d army…Nt the case at IIM’A coz I'll go for the summer placements b4 the actual one...
- Can manage finances for IIM easily…Rs 5lakh/- [Update- Now ~ Rs 12 lakh].....loan for ISB [Might not be very relevant now]
- Too short a period for ppl like me who r neophytes as far as corporate world is concerned…2yrs at IIM A may make more sense in this case....


Disclaimer: Both the programmes are different per se and cannot actually be compared. These points have been considered according to my priorities in life and as per my requirements, and have no bearing on the status of the respective institutions...Love 'em both!! Also the decision parameters and way of looking at this would be different for every individual. FYI pls!
.

Rise of the Phoenix...

Contd…

> Saw another example of an officer in Pune hosp, who had lost his entire rt leg, half left leg and half right hand because of a delay in evacuation from a post at Siachen glacier…Inspite of d embattled times he was undergoing, he always had a big smile tto spare for his visitors…

> Decided 2 tk life as it comes, live every moment 2 the fullest…was in roaming-around condn in a few months…started writing with d left hand…came home n started drivin our car wid d left hand (with immdt effect!!)…no big deal when u come to think of it, esp when the gears r as it is on d left!! Became a “modified leftie”!!

> Was told by senior offrs tht this being a very severe injury, won’t b able to continue in d army…didn’t want to leave though…left the studies long b4 at NDA…newayz, was told tht even If I continue under exceptional circumstances, my career will bite the dust, no command of unit et al…Decided to move on…Left the army in Mar’06!!

> Shifted to Pune… thanx to the army, even after leavin, was given an accommodation in an Offrs Mess for 9 months…No wonder, the Army takes care of a faujee even after leavin it…

> Joined a coaching institute 2 brush up d basics, joined www.pagalguy.com, the forum tht did wonders for me….Prepared for GMAT and CAT…gave GMAT in Aug 06 end, racked up a 740, 98 percentile…here r d comments on prep…

http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/gmat-and-related-discussions/17581-racked-up-a-740-a-2.html

> Always had ISB Hyderabad (Indian School of Business) in mind…got the call for intvw, gave the intvw...no grilling...gave d feeling tht they wud tk me...but didn't say so obtrusively...

> Gave CAT perfunctorily, as a Plan B coz I’d already cut-the-mustard by givin a good intvw, almost a sure-shot!! Got d confirmation of ISB on 15 Dec 06…

> In Jan got d call from IIM A,C,K,I,L….wonderful dilemma…one,4 which I’d dreamt of… Would either go for IIM A or ISB in the near future…

> Would impute dis success to:
-my mother n sis’ for being strong, givin d support n blessings reqd
-blessings of my Dad n all d elders up there, n my relatives…
-all n sundry at pagalguy n my coachin inst for d guidance n support…
-the army, for takin care of the adm arrangements while I studied…
-My love, for standing by me, takin away all the worries I might have had about d iffy future and for being there…:))
-lastly, nebody whom i might've missed...

Thnx @everybody...

The Accident...

Contd…

>Course was going on fine…was among the top-notch ones…getting good scores…one fine day…22Dec2004, disaster struck n struck really hard…was going on my bike...on the way from an official get together....around midnight, 2330hrs...

>Ostensibly, acc to eyewitnesses, a tractor-trolley overtook another bike…came on wrong side of the road…came face-2-face at the last moment…it was dark…cudn’t mk out d extent of the trolley part…Trolley hit my right shoulder head-on…lost consciousness…She (yes, the same lady officer) was sitting behind…she had a knee facture, fortunately cell was workin… called my coursemates…few of them came…luckily an empty civil car came…took us to d hosp…

>Died by d time I reached d OP table bcoz of blood loss…Surgeons were brought in from Ahmedabad…came overnight…spent the night finding d best way out, had to amputate the arm though…was given 17-18 units of blood…within 2 dayz, Tsunami happened…crisis everywhere…

>Became conscious on 03 Jan ‘05…felt as though a mosquito was biting my right hand…finally a doc broke the news…everbody was lookin at me to see my reaction…Said through d fractured jaw… “Okay, get me some chocolate shake please”…could feel the humor in d atmosphere thereafter…

> Quite a huge list of damages to my infrastructure, no head-injury though, thnx 2 d helmet…

> The NDA mentality took charge… “It could’ve been worse buddy!! Cud have been much worse…u’re still well-off with just one loss”…So d spirits were high…teeths were missing, jaws fractured…tht didn’t deter me 4m havin shakes n chocolates!! Hand was missin,one leg in plaster…tht didn’t deter me from doin one-hand push-ups…

> It is the way you take-on life…you either “exist” or “live” it to the fullest…thz wht keeps you going...

This was me...Then...

.

Lets begin from the beginning…in the beginning, there was me….

Father was in the Army…like father like son…decided to try for NDA…Prepared for n joined the NDA in 99’Jun…3 yrs of brittle training...many ups n downs…learned the intricacies of life…understood the meaning of “There is no limit to human endurance”

Followed by IMA…joined my father’s regt…EME…saw infantry life for an year in field…a stupendous experience…saw the beauty of Sikkim…Gangtok,Nathu La, et al…
Did my share of operations…joined my regt thereafter…went for a course to Baroda (Gujarat)

The Love story:

>Was briefed by my seniors that DO NOT fall in love with any lady-officer or Gujju (gujaratiiiis)…However, it had to transpire, happened…met my first love…another lady officer (junior), doing the course with me…though she was a doonite(from dehradun) ..i.e. Pahadi…took the number of all 4 lady officers, to get hers !! …used to send “forwards” to all four, so tht no wrong signal goes to her !! Heh heh…
>somehow things clicked…I sing good enough…she happened to sing good enough too…met socially, often…in practices…sang in parties…one thing led to another n sparks flew…was head over heels in love… kinda odd for me to ask the question actually…she being a junior…It was a matter of prestige…Ex-NDA…not used to hearing NO (Disobedience of orders!! Heh Heh Heh)…wht If…newayz,got a confirmation on my Birthday of the same… At every course get-2gether, there was n unsaid rule… “Hey!! shez my gal” had 2 necessarily sit wid me on d bike ...
lovely time...d courtship...no tension, other than a few skirmishes...a bit of greenry in the eyes sometimes...managing time between studies and her...doin well at both d fronts..


To be continued…

.