Restarting the blog

Eight months have passed since I have written anything. These have been the most busy, wonderful, horrible, excruciatingly painful, stunningly glamorous… (I could go on and on)

A lot has happened. Yours truly almost didn’t get accepted in any  university and almost died of heartbreak (It was like getting rejected from IIT six times). At that time, I was at the nadir of my existence. Finally, after months of not wanting to wake up, I did get acceptances from Georgia Tech and North Carolina, so late that most people had already started their procedures. So I’ve been quite busy. And scared. Going to Gatech but it sure is expensive. The course is MSCS.

Made a second best friend. And was immediately caught up in a whirlwind of problems in her life which took some leaps of mental gymnastics sorting out. Like I say I don’t go courting trouble…

All exams went very well thankfully. Topped seventh sem and eighth was great too. I am an engineer now. Yayness. But is has been a very very long and wearisome road. I wouldn’t have liked it any other way though. Hell, I’ll miss my poor-excuse-of-a-mental-asylum-mistakenly-looking-like -a-college.

I never thought its possible to be this sentimental about things which haven’t contributed to a single atom of well being to your existence. But then, familiarity breeds needs I guess. Suffering from weird stomach aches whenever I think about the future.

I know what Liu Bei felt before leaving Xuzhou.

Last sem was horrible. Was taught by the most idiotic HOD the IT department ever had. Sinha sir will be missed. Good for him that he left the college. IJK has become even more of a psychopath.

Life was eventful and interesting. A most deplorable state of affairs. I hate it when life becomes interesting.

A lot of things will end now. College. The metro ride. ‘Acquaintances’ who never got to be friends. Plans never quite formulated. Standing at the c-block balcony and feeling the wind in my hair. The chronicles of Narina. Going to quizzes. Cursing IEEE bvp chapter (sidenote: my worst enemy got its cosmic retribution, they have Rahul Behl as their boss now)

I’ll also have regrets not finding out explanations of a few incidents in my life till now, when stuff happened without me figuring out the hows and whys. If I remember correctly this has happened three times. I do know I’ll probably never find out now, but I’ll always remember…

Also a final non conditional apology to all those, whom in my four years, I’ve wronged in act or speech. I’m well aware that its entirely possible that many regretted my existence, and likewise. I’ve tried leading a logical as well as unselfish existence, will try harder in the future.

And yes, for good or bad, I will never change. In a world where change is worshiped,  I wish to remain the only constant. Four years bowed before me, as will all time.

The blog has been officially restarted. It awaits the patronage of its former readers and others who deign to cast their eyes hither and their thoughts.

Star’s End

Its been ages now, and unlike DK I tend to be both irregular and prosiac…

Anyway, I’ve finally finished Agatha Christie. 70 novels are no mean feat and in the end even sordid murders had started to feel wearisome. I got tired of Poirot’s vanity and yet he is likeable. Miss Marple on the other hand was faintly repulsive from the very beginning.

One sentiment I thoroughly agree with AC, planned murders are idiotic. Even the cleverest murder is bound to be idiotic. A rational mind, if it fears, will find a way to safeguard itself, if it covets, will steal (its easy to steal legitimately) and if it hates, then life could be made much more painful than death. An impersonal killing, of course is even more pitiful, usually political, it is the mark of a failed cause.

Then I started on the Foundation trilogy by Asimov. I’ve also finished the side novels and the prequels. The series itself is excellent, but the sequels and the ‘Gaia’ bit… frankly Trevize was irritating and the timeline horribly patchy. It would have been quite simpler had Asimov kept Foundation a separate universe from the Robot series.

It was all very good, ho-humish, nothing of the LOTR scale though. Whenever there is the deux ex machina of too much telepathy going around I start getting wary (I adored the second foundation, it was Foundation’s Edge which started the whole new age Gaia mumbo jumbo).

Lastly, two books I’ve got to mention.

The most horrible book written by Agatha Christie (she went quite gaga after 70) would be ‘Passenger to Frankfurt’. Read it at your own peril if you want to get really bewildered after a bad day, you’ll start confusing hippies with skinheads and understand that the best solution to the worlds problems is spraying all the ‘violent young people’ with a magic gas that makes them ‘benevolent’.

The most interesting book she wrote would probably be ‘Death comes as the end’. Its a unique concept which hasn’t been copied too much…

That’s all. Future posts will attempt to be not this dry. Goodnight, or rather goodmorning.

Congratulations Mister Guha…

I guess I’m finally Mr. Guha. Yes I’m referring to the fact that I’ve been ‘placed’ in TCS. Not jobless any more.

As the whole world and its aunt knows I’ll not be taking the job… and yet I really liked the experience.

I’ll keep it short. This is how my ‘technical’ interview went..

Me: Good afternoon

Lady: Please take a seat

Gentleman: No need to be nervous

Me: *Keeps the file on the lap*

G: If its heavy you may use the table

L: Water?

L: Describe yourself…

* It starts conventionally enough 20 minutes discussion about my project, artificial intelligence and my chess program..*

G (interjecting): What is ‘renge’?

* I sweatdrop.. renge has something to do with esoteric Japanese Buddhism.. He is evidently dissecting my cv*

A: My knowledge about Japanese religion (Nippon no Shinto) extends from the bafuku……

* 30 minutes discussion on Japan.. G really pleased*

G: Tell you what, you are the smartest guy since morning *grins* so I’ll give you a maths question you can’t possibly solve, take 20 mins while I take the next interview..

* I can’t solve it..sob..*

A: Sir I’m sorry but…

G: Hey, I told you it was hard.. tell you what I’ll tell you the solution after all this is done, you wait for me.

G: Can I speak to you honestly, look you simply shouldn’t join TCS, you are made for research…

*I show obstinacy, plead need for job exp etc*

G: If you’re thinking that I’ll hold that against you you’re wrong. I’ll make certain you get through. But honestly, go for MS…

*then he starts praising me which makes me embarrassed, simply because I feel like a scumbag, I’ve no intention of taking the job anyway and he talks as if to alleviate any worries I may have over not going through because of ‘over qualification’.*

G: Fine.. btw do you know Miyamoto Musashi?

A: *wicked grin*

*I start..and go on… the world stops…*

G: The novel you told about has 1500 pages.. I’m impressed…*starts praising*

A: Really nice talking to you.

My technical interview lasted some 90 mins. My HR took place around four hours later and was mostly perfunctory. That day itself I was privately informed by this gentleman that I’ve been selected. The official results came out after one more day of interviews in which I wandered around trying real hard not to look too smug.

Finally, the question I couldn’t solve. Divide 40 kgs into 4 weights, which can be used to weigh any integral weight from 1 kg to 40 kg.

And Then There Were None

For Agatha Christie  fans,  the play, presented as a novel, is one of the most excellent crime thrillers I’ve read recently. And it is not a detective ‘whodunit’. Its a bit gruesome but you’ll enjoy it all the same. A deep analysis of human psyche is done which of course is AC’s strong point. Unfortunately the copyright still exists so ebooks of it will be rare (or badly edited) but its worth a buy.

Remember the hindi movie ‘Gumnam’? The haunting title track went ‘gumnam hai koi, anjan hai koi…’, its a rather an old movie. The story was lifted from this book (and was a bad adaptation).

I’m Bach..

Well, my apologies for not posting in ages.

I can’t make excuses, to put it simply I’ve been through a lot of personal hell, all thanks to the amazing capability of sheer irrationality in some and malice in others. It was one of the few times punishment was being dished out to me for no fault of mine. I was angry. Almost to the point of self destruction.

The only reason I’m writing again is due to the fact one person stuck to me like glue, even when I was in my worst trying to drive people away, never caring whatever bile I spewed, taking all the damage meant for people I can’t get back at. She means all to me and I’ve realized quite a few things…

There is also good news, I’ve aced toefl, 115/120 is a score beyond expected, that with my gre score of 1530 will assuredly get me into the ivy league. I don’t mean to gloat. Just that I’m happy.

Training is a pushover. That was expected.

Am reading one P.G. Wodehouse novel after another. Don’t really like his brand of humour. Although I really liked one novel ‘Fore!!’. I’ll recommend it for anyone wanting a really bad stomach ache by howling like a maniac.

I’ll try to write something really cool in the near future. I promise.

P.S. If you want to comment on this post, I will not take anything saucy. I’m in no mood for wit.

Here we go gathering nuts in may…

Greetings!!

Or rather 6r33+i/\/65!!

#4wre j00? l337 r0×0rs!! phj33r teh 6r3@+ l337 ski|z. {e/\/\ j00 $p33(  l337? iph  j00 4r3 n0+ 4b3| +0  sp34k l33+ d3/\/\ j00  12 n0+ l337!!

That by the way, was my experiment in leet. I can type tolerable leet. w00+!!

On to a somewhat odd thing, which was also quite disturbing, I woke one morning to find 20 testimonials vanished from my orkut profile. I can’t explain this.. I’ve changed my password just in case.. Am feeling horrible, those were years worth of sentiment. Am also quite angry.

And yes, the exams. They are going horribly, so I’ll reserve writing stuff about them for later.

Also after a lot of mulling, I’ve decided to do three things in my final year of college. These things I’ve wanted to do for ages but couldn’t due to my own procrastination.

1. Make my own manga/doujinshi/visual novel

2. Learn to play the guitar, properly

3. Start playing an MMORPG

Strange, how we make introspective decisions about our lives when we should be studying digital signal processing… I need to run off.

Well that’s about it. So long!!

Mind Meld (song)

Mind Meld

On the crossroads of fate
Have been waiting a long time for you
Since we have all time
Lets walk beyond the horizon

Is this a mind meld?

Have been tranquil
Have been ecstatic, am a bit high on you
Since the world has stopped
Lets dance till eternity

Is this a mind meld?

As for the moon
Have been seeing its light in you
Since they shine for us
Lets count all the stars

Is this a mind meld?
for I can feel every fibre in you

Guha Ha Ha

For the uninitiated (and Mr. Batra) I’m not hysterical. This is merely something the fertile mind of one ingenuous and ingenious dynamic duo of brothers invented, and was made a war chant of in the GTBIT fest by Harish Algappa and company.

Yes, these guys were actually sloganeering ‘Guha ha ha’ on the winning of the gd there. Go figure. And it was a horrible gd. I don’t know how I kept my cool.

It was quite nice. I never thanked you guys. A big gracias.

Now why am I telling you all this… I don’t exactly remember. I wanted to post something neat (about Suvorov in fact, as requested by Mr. Batra, I guess the dear old general has got to wait) ended up with this…

Am having my practicals for the last two weeks. Lots of vivas. I will not steal Dinesh’s idea and write a post about them. They are quite hilarious though. Dunno why anyone bothers with vivas anyway. Evidently neither the teacher nor the students know anything…

I’ll quote one instance though

Prof: What is fuzzy logic?

Student1: Sir, see, basically, first there were neural networks……. and then came AI……. we read in DWDM…… a conglomeration of…… I don’t exactly recall what fuzzy is though…

Anupam: *waving his hands like a windmill as he knows*

Student1: Sir, ask him!!!!

Prof: Uski shirt bekar hai….

Student2 (outside): Quick, google. What is fuzzy? Ok.. something soft and… *grins*

So fuzzy logic is logic that is soft and squishy. Hail bvcoe.

Before I end this pointless post I’ll remind everyone I’ve attained seventh heaven. So all else is insignificant.

Epiphany

Greetings!! Long time no post I guess..

My last two weeks were super duper excellent. Experience, instinct and sheer despondency were proven wrong as I’ve had some experience of pure perfection. Stuff is happening which can be only described as heavenly manna dropping all over the place. The term minors were insignificant irritants compared to the bliss I’ve experienced…

For those in the know, they are aware what I wish to rave about… Guys I’m happy!!!

However this perfect picture was smeared by one ugly incident. I had a run-in with a certain person of the uncouth retard variety which lead to heated words (before my dsp test no less ). To be honest I wanted to beat the stuffing out of the fellow, something I can’t do (I’m on the skinny side), anyway the thing rankled. I was insanely furious.

Strangely enough had it been the old me I would have tortured myself by accusations of cowardice (or made grand plans of vengeance involving  manoeuvring classmates, college staff and whatnot). I didn’t do anything. I’ve realised some things are not worth fighting for or getting whiny over. I didn’t wallow. I’ve grown more logical I guess.

I have bigger fish to fry and people to care about.

So all in all am enjoying existence. A lot. Life is beautiful.

Best manga ever

Read this manga ‘Monster’. Over 15 times. Seriously good. Tops rurouni kenshin. Of course it belongs to the seinen category (Sorry Mr. Bhasin, can’t share your views on seinen and shonen).

For the uninitiated here is a wiki summary

The series follows Dr. Kenzo Tenma (天馬 賢三, Tenma Kenzo^<?) as he pursues a young psychopath/sociopath named Johan, whose life Tenma once saved. The story rapidly progresses through a number of locations: it starts in Düsseldorf, Germany, passes through Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Wiesbaden, cities in the Czech Republic such as Prague, and other cities and villages.

Both anime and manga begin with a passage from The Revelation of St. John the Divine, Chapter 13: Verses 1 & 4

And I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads, the names of blasphemy. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

The quote is often interpreted as the coming of the Antichrist. This quote is used because of the many parallels and comparisons between one of the main characters of Monster (Johan) and two candidates of the Antichrist as predicted by Nostradamus, the two were commonly Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler.

And here is the Guha summary.

It is awesome. And most Ludlumesque. If you like a good chase externally (covering Europe in fine and grand detail) and internally (the hero is an angsty neurosurgeon who had saved the life of the villain the world thinks doesn’t even exist outside his imagination) then this graphic novel would make your day.

Read it at onemanga.com