Welcome to Red's observatory-cum-lab ..

Oh my lord and the one who is making me the bard,

What did I do to become ignorant?

Neither do I know logic nor do I know rhetoric;

If you are me and you are everyone, oh my lord, you are the real bard.

As I see when my eyelids open, so should I know when I see.

That by knowing which everything else is known, oh my lord, when will you lift me up?

I get into a bus to Mavoor Road and grab a window seat. A passenger comes and sits beside me. I get the ticket later from the conductor. I study the ticket and I get a little amused by seeing the letters ‘KKD’ as destination on it.  I ask the passenger beside me the expansion of ‘KKD’ in the ticket. He says Kozhikkode and asks me immediately where I am from. I tell him I am from IIM. He asks me where I am otherwise from. I tell him Tamilnadu. I urge to add that I am in this place (Calicut) for the third straight year and have travelled by the same type of bus many times but just that am not very confident. He asks me how I find Kerala. I reply to him that it is a good place. People are honest here. His quick response is “How are people in Tamilnadu?” I answer him that there are honest and dishonest people in both places. I tell him that in Madras the auto drivers fleece but here in Calicut (just some do {as an example for the readers, on the same day as this blog is written in Calicut but much later after this conversation took place, when I was just about to ask for 4 rupees balance according to the meter reading, the rick driver overtook me by asking for 10 more rupees above the meter reading }and) many not that much. In Madras, I say to him (with a little exaggeration) that, strangers could even be demanded 100 rupees for 100 meters. I urge to add that we have to haggle, reach an agreement upon the fare (read usually no meter) and do all this before we enter into the rick and the driver may still demand and fight for more after the journey [he’ll start as though he is begging but will, at his earliest convenience, get rude and wild]. But here I find people honest, in particular, the auto rickshaw drivers He raises his eyebrows, smiles and adds ‘you mean just ten rupees?’. I say yeah, kind of. I also say to him that in Madras I need to think much before answering people for they may misuse information where as here it is not so much that way and I add that people ask for example ‘ Sthalam Evadey’ kind of and that’s ok. [For the readers, I would like to say that this ‘Sthalam Evadey’ means ‘Where are you from.’ My usual first response is IIM after which people ask me again. My usual second response is Kunnamangalam. My usual third response is Tamilnadu. My usual fourth response is Madras. I haven't yet been made to give a fifth response. No doubt ‘Sthalam Evadey’ is a nosey and irritant sort of a question but needn’t necessarily reflect malice and that's the point I made to convince myself.] He then says that I don’t look like I belong to Tamilnadu for he judged me to be from Karnataka or more truly out of India itself. ‘Is it because of my pony?’, I respond to him in turn. It’s his turn to say yeah kind of, and adds that it is perhaps the culture of Banaglore to sport such hairstyles. I tell him I have this hairstyle for a religious purpose. He tells me that I look like a genius and will become one too. I laugh a little deep inside my heart. He asks me what I am doing. I tell him that I study Marketing. He asks me whether it is multi-network marketing. Though I don't know what that multi network marketing exactly is, I say to him that I am doing PhD in Management and have done courses including Marketing and right now am upto doing some research in Marketing. He raises his eyebrows. He questions me as to why I took this up. I say to him that I fear to get admitted to companies early in the morning and get released late in the night. I urge to add that though here (in the job of an academic) too one has to work equally hard but I did not know of this earlier – and I just thought I can do more extracurricular activities in the beginning and the end of each day if I have the job of an acadmic (But as I write this blog, perhaps I was less right. Not just at the beginning or end of the day but during the day too). He asks me what I’ll be up to after the program. I tell him I should get into teaching.  He asks me whether I am capable of that. I consider that a very good question. I say to him that I wish I should be. He replies to me that it is a very respectable job and says more nice stuff on that.  I politely brush his comment aside. He points out to me that my face looks fatigued, tired and tensed. I tell him that I am not well and am heading straight to a hospital. He is kind of stunned to hear that. I say to him “I want to know about you for you’ve asked me about me.” He offers a handshake to me which I accept and we tell our names to each other. He then starts by saying that he is from an ordinary class family with two of his brothers working abroad and a sister here. His house, he says, is located near IIM K. He tells me that he is studying LLB at a Law College in Calicut. I ask him if it is for 2 years and he answers me that it is for 5 years total if one joins directly after +2. I tell him that I had a course too in Business Laws in the first two years. He asks who taught me. I say the name and he acknowledges. I ask him if he knew the person for which he says no. I then tell him that he is a practicing lawyer at Kerala High Court. He says ‘Oh!.’ I say to him to find his way into the IIM for he can enjoy being a day scholar. He replies that it is not for a guy like him who is economically backward. I encourage him by saying that there are educational loans available these days which can be repaid after he gets a job. I point out to him that I've seen lawyers doing MBA at IIM. I tell him that he is required only to study well.  I wish him success in law. Before he gets up to leave he conveys good will - ‘thanks, nice meeting you, shakes hand’ (– all of which I too kind of reciprocate ) and finally he says ‘You pray for me and I’ll pray for you’. I was a little spell bound by the entire conversation. A little while later, another person comes and fills the seat next to me. I shut my mouth and turn my head towards the window for the rest of my journey.

It’s Hotel Brothers again, the place I am fond of, which is the subject of this blog. I happen to dine with a co-founder of Hotel Brothers during breakfast. He says to a nearby waiter pointing at me “Our regular customer … This guy is from IIM (He raises his eyebrows when uttering I-I-M).” I ask him when Brothers was founded. He says it was long ago in the 1950s when Kerala did not take shape. The restaurant was located, he continues, on another road and due to some court case it got shifted to the present location in the 1960s (1966 around). He adds that Hotel Brothers has received certificates of honor from collectors! I ask him why the name is Hotel Brothers. He narrates that he was the last child to be born in the family and he has four brothers and some sisters. The eldest brother who died at an early age was the founder along with other brothers. He confesses to me meanwhile that he doesn’t drink but smokes regularly. He pinches his body to show how thin he is. And he tells me that he is not able to eat much.  I tell him “Quit smoking.” He gestures that he empathizes with my idea. The guy answering my questions, who he says is in his 60s, looks like a skeleton covered with a thin layer of skin with nothing in between. But that is not to think mean of his strength for he is the sole waiter for rice during lunch. I don’t know why he is the sole waiter for that, but I speculate there is some importance attached with serving rice and so it is to be done by an important person. The vessel he uses to carry is so huge and full of rice. I eat that rice and I am plump unlike him. The conversation ends here and later I learn a few shocking bits of history from one of the two current owners cum managers of Hotel Brothers, which of course I can’t discuss here.

Came across this write up when I was cleaning my desktop. Here it goes ..

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In engineering colleges, first year students are vulnerable to getting ragged by second, third, fourth (and fifth?) year students. Occasionally, even second year students may face ragging from final year students. The Open Page on 26^th October 2008 carried an article titled “Ragging and the sophomore psyche.”  That article’s discussion centered around two points: ragging as vicious cycle and ragging as crime. In the present write up, ragging is viewed from both juniors’ and seniors’ point of view. Also narrated are some common tactics adopted by both parties.

Juniors’ viewpoint

In the initial few days of reporting, parents would stay with their children in the college. This is perhaps the last time freshmen are seen bold and cheerful. Ragging starts when parents depart. Ragging is never supportive and it aggravates homesickness. Because of ragging and its consequences, freshmen may lose GPA. When I was in first year, a third year senior tipped me off: “You are the most wanted in front wing upstairs. Save yourself!” The benevolence from the otherwise brutal ragger was the result of my relative being his senior. Freshmen get picked from messes, dorms, TV rooms or any place in the campus. Ragging can range (begins?) from cleaning and organizing senior’s room to receiving physical harassment.  One of my friends said in our first year “When we become seniors, we should rag those who rag and put an end to ragging freshmen.” It remains a (valid?) dream.  Juniors tend to opine that warden’s visits to hostel are inadequate. Freshmen fear that they would be ostracized and get no help from seniors if they did not cooperate with seniors during ragging. Afraid of unfavorable consequences, they fail to complain to wardens.

Seniors’ viewpoint

Seniors tend to believe that they get authority by virtue of staying in a place for more time than their juniors. May be that’s why day scholars don’t get ragged. “Poor chap, let us leave him,” says one senior. “Why should we? Were you spared last year?” says another. The seniors justify ragging both as retribution (socialization?) as well as a ‘fun’ activity for them. Seniors believe that unless they come to understand their juniors they cannot help (customized service?) them in future. Seniors sometimes consider ragging as a stress buster. They love taming arrogant juniors through ragging as much as they love exploring sex related knowledge in shy juniors and educating them. Seniors tend to look out for freshmen especially when they don’t have exams around. They consider ragging as a group activity. Seniors would like to know about the who’s who of junior batches and they believe ragging is the best time to seek knowledge on this. Seniors usually don’t worry about any ill consequences of ragging. Every ragging event is akin to a game. In every game, the participants, their mental makeup, the circumstances and the outcomes can be different. It’s like the cricket captains saying ‘we concentrate on one game at a time.’

Common Tactics

Freshmen wake up early in the morning and study. Seniors keep fishing for juniors whenever possible. Juniors usually plan to spend maximum time in library. But seniors may convene meetings in hostels. Juniors would want to move in herds. Seniors assure juniors of no more ragging provided they brought other new juniors to them for a session. Juniors love to complain to anti-ragging squads. So seniors arrange for fake anti-ragging squads to check the integrity of juniors. Seniors end the ragging sessions with advice, encouragement and handshake. Juniors, if caught by seniors, try best to escape in the least possible time. Seniors shout aloud to juniors “Go and complain to the warden if you want. What can he do?” But, if caught by warden, seniors start praying to God straight away.

In most colleges, there is no separate hostel solely for freshmen. It requires immense maturity on part of both juniors and seniors to display civil behavior. It would be wise to recollect what most candidates answer during graduate exam interviews when questioned on their undergraduate academic performance “Sir, I was immature at that time!” With a detailed understanding of student behavior, measures should be directed at addressing such immaturity.

(The views expressed in this article are opinionated and squarely grounded on personal observations.)

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We are just short of providing internet in trains. That’s why I am now typing in MS-Word what I wanted to post in my blog-space. We have however become more sophisticated nowadays, haven’t we? Laptop charge is provided in the trains! First time, I am accessing my laptop here in train. It’s somewhat thrilling you see. Fortunes do strike but only for those who have some belief in God. It is He who has to save students from poor grades. :)

The last few weeks have been a real roller coaster. Carrying forward the same mentality before and after clinching your mission is the toughest. The sustenance is wanted. A rigid attitude is necessary. Repeated aggression and ruthless performance. The Aussies. The Fedex. How do they do it? Is it because they are adulated and so they derive their bit of push from that? I feel so but what makes one say that he doesn't want to be compared? Fear for being ranked inferior? Is merit the only virtue essential in performance? How does effort relate to merit? A matter of perception? So many questions indeed. Life is seriously complex mamoo.

To appreciate a great conversation, visit http://www.ibnlive.com/news/devils-advocate-arun-shourie/13851-4.html

To have the laugh of your life, I strongly suggest http://www.ibnlive.com/news/devils-advocate-p-r-dasmunsi/39403-3-0.html

Vinayak bubbles with enthu almost 24*7. None can quench his inquisitive thirst in others' personal affairs. People don't walk before Vinayak, they flee .... (will be expanded)

Don’t be so nosy, Vinayak—it’s none of your business.