Signing Off

After the long extended stay which was filled with lots and lots of fun like Pachmarhi trip, Holi, playing cards etc, I'm leaving IIM Indore for the final time. No sentiments or nostalgic feelings right now. Have to complete the final minute packing and rush to Indore.

Bye bye Planet-I!

My Room @ IIMI

As I prepare to leave IIM Indore for the last time, I can't but pause for a moment and think about the three rooms where I have lived.

D-302 was my abode for the first few days of college. Overlooking a breathtaking scenery and gentle breeze blowing all the time, I had one of the rooms with the best view. But this happiness was short-lived when we had to shift to new rooms within a couple of weeks.

The view from D-302

I moved to E-212 in the newly constructed block. The view from here was not as breathtaking as in D-302, but this was compensated by the view of the staircase leading to Acad block. Soon the concept of watch became irrelevant to me. A peep out of the window to see people rushing was enough to show that it was time for class. Being a newly constructed block, the it was more energy-efficient with CFL lamps and solar water heater. But above all these things, I would remember E-212 for the beautiful friendships that blossomed over the 2nd and 3rd terms, the badminton games and the late night tea parties that used to be the time when all of us used to get together and chit chat endlessly into the night.

The view from E-212

2nd year came and it was time to shift again. I moved to F-212, the newly constructed block to accommodate our juniors. If D block had the breathtaking view of natural scenery and E block had the highly useful view of the stairs leading to Acad block, F block had a view of another block. My looking-out-of-window past-time was severely curtailed now. But there were other things which happened in F-212 and 2nd year in general. Some pleasant changes, some changes in perspectives and in general a different outlook towards everything happened here. I could see myself change from taking a conceding stance to being more aggressive on everything. As Shruti puts it, "Every now and then, he goes on a spree of rejecting ideas." Of course, this had its own share of shortcomings. But in the end, both extremes are not good enough and I got to realise it. This was also the year for TT, although I didn't play as much as I played baddy in the first year. This was the place where I got to know my friends more and forged friendships which will last a lifetime. I got closer to some and moved a little away from others.

F-Block

Looking back now, I cherish all the good times and want to change some of the hard times. But the past is more a tool for experience than anything else. These three rooms in two years have showed me a lot and form a definite turning point in my life.

A fitting end to this post would be this nice song "In My Room" by Beach Boys.

There's a world where I can go and tell my secrets to
In my room, in my room
In this world I lock out all my worries and my fears
In my room, in my room

Do my dreaming and my scheming
Lie awake and pray
Do my crying and my sighing
Laugh at yesterday

Now its dark and I'm alone
But I wont be afraid
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room

Holi @ Planet-I

Holi - the festival of colours, was very colourful this year. The day began very quietly, like any other normal day. As usual, me, Shruti and Easwaran went for breakfast. It was 8.30 and still nothing to indicate it's Holi. Then came the first signs when the junior culcom went about dragging the bags of colour powders outside the mess. As Easwaran and Shruti were having tea I sneaked out, took handful of colours and waited for them to come out. And then, it all began. We were continuously jumping and running around like kids, throwing powder on each other. Slowly juniors started coming for breakfast. No one was spared. It didn't matter whether we knew them or not, but no one was let without colour. It's viral marketing - in Shruti's words. Once a person was smeared with colours, he didn't want to leave others out. Soon, the entire front of mess was full of colours.

This is one of the few festivals which helps in bringing out the child inside a person. The sheer joy in running after someone, throwing colours and getting drenched in colours and water is amazing. Too bad this festival doesn't have much relevance to South India that I didn't get to enjoy this festival in all the years I was in Chennai. But here at IIM Indore it's entirely different. One of the main reasons for me staying back on campus after convocation has been fulfilled today!

Laziness and Boredom

A lethal combination which has brought me down for the past few days. Right from the time after my Pachmarhi trip I've been trying to post an article about it, but all in vain. I've finally given up on it and am trying to move on to other things in life. The game of cards and Risk, which kept me going for sometime, doesn't seem to be happening much these days. So I finally switched to movies. It's now the season of animations and children movies. Now, let me list down the movies I watched recently - Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier, Ice Age Series, Ratatouille, Open Season, Flushed Away. Add to the the entire Top Cat series I watched in the past 3 days. But nothing can beat the February when I watched almost two dozen movies in the span of a week.

Things did look up a little this week. Went to the city by train one day and loitered in Treasure Island the whole day. Did nothing much, but it was fun sitting in Barista and playing Scrabble (although I missed capturing the best moments in my camera, which itself is worthy of a separate post).

Now I forgot why I started writing this post. Oh yeah, to while away some time doing nothing. And I guess I've been quite successful in doing that. It's time to get back to watching Heroes. Afterall, if not movies it's time for sitcoms! :P

The last official day at IIM Indore

One last defining moment in the official part of the life at IIM Indore - Convocation. The time when me and all my classmates will be walking down the aisle to receive our diploma, robes and all. I missed my convocation at CEG due to random reasons. But this time around it's going to be great occasion when mom and dad will be here. It surely is a great moment for all, when the dreams come true. Enough sentiments for a day!

Post Graduate Diploma in Management - that's what I'm getting!

Pachmarhi Trip

After all the deliberations over the past few days, the Pachmarhi trip is finally happening. I'll be cut off from the internet world for the next 3 days. Add to this the joy of visiting a relatively unexplored hill station in summer, I'm expecting so much from this trip. It'll be 3 of us - me, Shruti and Easwaran making the entire trip in a cab.

The Plan

• Start at around 1AM on March 7 from IIM Indore and reach Pachmarhi at 9-9.30 AM.
  
• March 7 & 8 dedicated to sightseeing in Pachmarhi.
• Start from Pachmarhi on the morning of March 9 and back to campus by afternoon

More details about this trip once we come back.