Quick update on…. My Book

Well, thought of coming back to my blog with a quick update- My 'Book' is done... finally (finished writing/reviewing).
So, as many of you might know, my book is basically…well…my story. It’s a semi-fiction and the name of my character is Siddhant. It starts right from my NDA days with all the experiences, ups and downs, the accident, thru to IIM A. The core theme is inspirational and has elements of adventure, lot of humor and ahem…romance too. Tried to keep it funny, interesting and not preachy at all :), since it’s a real story. Many of my blog posts, which actually went up and down the sine curve as things happened, are part of the book as well.

There were those times of… I’ve taken out 1 hr, let me write the book right now…oh this dialogue was said by Chandler in Friends…which season was it… let me google…that was a good one…let me see the episode… No! No! let me focus… oh! office mail on BB… let me quickly respond… oh! this is also due today… what happened to that office mail, let me follow up… shucks! My 1 hr for book is over… okies some other day maybe… :) .. Well, finally I'm done...

Otherwise life is good, Rishika is growing up fast and becoming naughtier than ever. It was so difficult to take out time…really :). But finally did it, thanks to the support from my better half, Richa.

I’ll be sending it out of my inbox probably in the next 1-2 weeks, and then would be a long waiting period before it gets published. I would like to thank all of you- all of the anonymous and known well-wishers, who kept me motivated to finish the book :).

Ciao ppl!!

Ciao life!!

Two cents on Life- Never giving up: 'The Attitude'

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- “Sh*t happens and Life goes on”.

I penned down these lines some time back during my MBA days at IIM A (one of the blogs below), when my ‘ship’ was on the upper wave of the sine curve. From the days of training during the dark hours at the National Defence Academy, to leading men in operations in the Army, to lying on the hospital bed badly mutilated after coming back from the dead, to joining a premier league B-school; this ship has ‘been there-done that’. The one thing that has fuelled this ship all along is the attitude towards life. We have heard this phrase so many times in our daily lives- ‘Never give up’, or going up a further level- ‘Never Never Never - Ever Give Up’. It so happens that many of us don’t get a chance to say this often, and these lines mean nothing more than a very powerful phrase. Some people test the waters flowing in their system by going through strenuous experiences like mountain climbing, and the likes. It does not matter when and how you get to test this attitude, what matters is- having the attitude of not letting go. Experiences might vary in terms of degree of intensity, duration or importance vis-à-vis the big picture. The big test comes when one encounters the unexpected and needs to live out the word- ‘perseverance’. All said and done, ‘Life’ is iffy. It starts by welcoming you onboard the ship with other passengers and your journey of life begins. At times, all of you go through a tempestuous weather, wherein you think that this is it and things cannot get worse than this. Next day things are back to normal and you sail along the journey, happy as (you) can be. Life then takes you up a level further and throws you overboard. You may know how to swim or you may not, whatever be the case you keep struggling. At this juncture there are some of us, who think that- I don’t know how to swim; I’m far away from the ship; I’m totally fatigued and there’s no use of trying any further. This is where people who have the attitude of ‘Never say die’, keep trying. They might have similar thoughts- I don’t know how to swim; I’m far away from the ship and I’m totally fatigued. However, their next thought is- I am still alive and as long as I have the last drop of energy in me, I’ll keep trying. These are the people who live the never give up attitude for as long as, and as much as they can. Life then throws a lifeboat for both categories of people, but both the lifeboats lead you to different ships that are on different routes of life. The journey begins again, and some time down the line, ‘life’ rocks the boat again, and the cycle goes on until you get to the end of the journey. One’s attitude defines the actions and the thought process defines the attitude – It's ALL in the mind. What matters is the way you handle the situation when everything seems to be going wrong, and it looks as though the universe has turned against you. This is where one needs to keep holding on to that log of wood (if you find one), say to yourself- “This too shall pass...”, and carry on. There is no limit to human endurance; it’s all in the mind.....

Ciao ppl..
Ciao Life..

An Alum again... IIM A

So I’m an alum now (Pics)...the student life is technically over. When I’d joined the NDA, had thought- ‘Goodbye to studies’…and I just passed out of the most studies-oriented institute I know of, in the country. It has been quite an experience, for the lack of words. I had seen myself stretch to the limit of physical endurance in the NDA days and knew that there is actually no such limit. It’s all in the mind, as they say. The same rigor happened in a different way in the first year at IIM A and a different set of skills were required to swim through the same. In both the places, when things became really impossible (1^st&2^nd term at NDA, 1^st semester at IIM A), seniors built up the morale by just saying that so many people have got through…you will also survive…just keep your head above the water, keep swimming and don’t give up. A few countable numbers did give up both the times, but rest of the batch sailed through and went on to become smart officers and good managers respectively.

I made a great number of life-long friends in both the schools of learning. In NDA there were endless nights and days that we spent together…helping each other in tough times, enjoying punishments and living through them by giving mutual support, having parties, socials and great fun in spite of all circumstances. Even at IIM A we spent endless nights having group meets, presentations, great fun, endless movies on the LAN…The bondage that was developed in these two institutes is so strong that one would go out of his way to help another coursemate.

I would really cherish the moments spent in this institute…those 0100hrs group meets that actually began at 0200hrs after yapping around and finishing off the work in the last 1 hour…ordering maggi in the midnight and rambhai’s midnight chai…those 23:59:59 deadlines and WAC run…the rem sessions of MANAC& the lunch time MANAC quiz notice….the experience of T-nite and d section bonding….the God-level professors and the die-hard sleepers of section B…helping out each other in times of stress…watching movies in parts every day in spite of the routine…the list goes on and on and on to the day we stood in the LKP with the degree in hand watching each of our batchmate walking past us…Those were the fleet of ships that fleeted right through the storm and came out in flying colours…

This is the beginning of an end…another beginning to another end…whereupon I step into a new pair of shoes, dawning on another role…

Ciao ppl

Ciao life

The NDA acronyms.....

Here are a few acronyms that we used to use in d golden NDA days (with usage....):

Disclaimer: This post may not be very clear as to the value attached to these words for most of the people, please humor me :)...would be clear to Ex NDAs n other officers why I wrote it....

• JLT: Just Like That: Was mostly used when there was no reason for giving a punishment....general happiness :) ....just like that
• DWL: Disgusted With Life: For people who often tended to go into the above mentioned mode :) :) n actually disgusted with life....
• JTB: Just Too Bad: People's way of sympathizing with you for getting caught, et al :) :)
  
• DLTGH: Days Left To Go Home: The ultimate countdown, used to start at DLTGH-45
• NQA: No Questions Asked : When there's an order (almost all orders) which you necessarily have to follow without questions...
  
• MIA: Missing In Action: An official term that goes as KIA, used for the smart-boys who used to miss the punishment reports... :)
• JIC: Just In Case: for d tendency to carry a lot of stuff in camps...just in case....
  
• NMB: No Move Before: Again, an official term...essentially to cap the start time of something
• LIC: Locked In Cabin: Describes the smart-act of locking your door from outside, entering your room again from the window and making the seniors think that you're out....while you sleep in peace (implemented on Sundays :):):) )

Met a junior of mine today....fond memories...a totally different life...a life of respect, honor & integrity... Time to get back to the real life :)

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...