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Plz click on the above link to go to my Blog!

And I Hope U will give the same kinda support and patronize my site! Thank You and Welcome to my New Site!

DELL Tech Training @ Sutherland

My prev blog “The Versant Experience” had the maximum number of views for quite sometime! So, encouraged from the positive response, am writing more about my training!

I forgot to tell you about the Panel Interview (Comm Check) conducted by a H(aitch)R named TONY, before the Versant Test! And the funny incidents related to that! The HR tests our communication and shortlists us thru’ a Mock Call.

For many the HR Tony didnt look like a HR! He was a very Modest Guy! And since everyone said that the comm check is very difficult etcetera etcetera and after hearing the name Tony, we were expecting a lot frm that comm check! Something like… a foreigner sitting on the other side of the table looking at us mockingly and speaking in an unintelligible English!

So one by one everyone went in and came out of the cabin in which he conducted the interview. As i said b4 that we were expecting something and found something else inside the cabin, it was quite fun that day! When Aiyaz went in, he misunderstood the name and called the HR as Hi Tommy!!! lolz Nishant went in to attend the comm check. He’s a cut and right guy, always speaks like a military man. So he was nicknamed military during our comm training. He went in and started speaking to Tony as always, like a military man(also his rate of speech was high) Tony asked Nishant to drink some water and relax. Nishant replied back, “No!!! I don’t want water now!!!” Tony was taken aback by his bossy nature. And so he threw him out! Sathya went in next, and found that a man was sitting there in a t-shirt jean and who didnt look like a HR. So, she started searching the room and tried opening another room which had the entrance thru’ this cabin. But that was locked. She came back to that man and asked him, “i am supposed to go thru’ my comm check with a HR named Tony in this cabin, when’ll he come?!!” He replied back,”I am the HR and I am Tony!!!”

Acc to me, Tony was quite friendly and spoke well… And after clearing this we took the Versant test. You can read abt it in my blog “The Versant Experience“

After clearning the versant we were inducted into the company. They gave us the Permanent ID card, opened the ICICI Bank account, Pan Card for those who didnt have one, another Offer Letter etc

The we had the Tech Training. It was for 6 days. And our timings were from 12am to 8am! The Graveyard Shift! Our Trainer was Vengat and his classes were never boring. Yep! The way he pokes fun on everyone in
class keeps the training sessions alive! And the AC, always in 16degrees(he never alows us to switch it off or increase the temp) during night! It was very difficult for us last row guys to sleep!

We learnt quite a lot abt the computer Hardware, Windows XP and Vista OS, etc… After the 6 days of training we had to attend the MSV test. MSV is Minimum Skill Verification!

It was a 60 minutes test. And many of us finished that in 5-10 minutes! I got 88% in that! Then we had a 1week break during we just went there to mark our attendance.

Now we are in the Process Training. We were put into Printers 4 in 1 batch! This training is for 22days!

My First Paycheck

For everyone who works, one significant day of their life is the day of the first salary. I got mine on 31st of July 2008, when i was 21yrs and 49days old! I am not going to disclose how much it is (Company Guidelines ) but it was a great moment for me. The whole of the money, my own money, much awaited money. I was expecting to get my first salary from Infosys, but Sutherland beat them!

Our salary account was with ICICI Bank. All of us were eagerly awaiting our first salary. We were told that we’ll get the money only by 6pm on the 31st! We were working at that time and so we cudnt go to the ATM! But, we got the message thro’ the Mobile Banking service that the salary has been credited!

I’m too broke and finally i have money again. haha. soo hooray! money! $_$ yes. I Luv Money! (Well, Who doesnt?!)

But, i havent decided how to spend it yet! Any suggestions?!

Understanding The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is almost undoubtedly the most ambivalent of superhero movies. Because Nolan’s film eschews the supernatural elements that are a mainstay of the genre, there is no absolute good and evil here. Instead, there are defenders and there are murderers. There are men trying very hard to do the right thing, and others trying just as hard to do the wrong thing.

Even the film’s title is a double entendre — Gotham City has been plunged into a long, dark night. Remember that Batman is an ego-driven superhero — he wasn’t forced into existence by a radioactive spider bite or some science experiment gone awry, but instead made a conscious decision to become a highly trained, dark-masked vigilante. And he remains haunted by the idea that his presence may hurt as much as it helps. Certainly, it’s only Batman’s celebrity that made his beloved Rachel Dawes a target for the Joker, who uses her death as the punchline of a sadistic practical joke that tweaks the ostensible hero for doing the wrong thing.

As I observe from the film, when Joker kidnaps both Rachel and Harvey Dent — the crusading District Attorney that Batman believes may actually be the kind of real, law-abiding savior that would finally let Bruce Wayne hang up cloak and cowl — it’s to set up an elaborate test of Batman’s moral compass. Joker tells Batman Rachel is tied up at one address, and Harvey Dent at another, forcing him to choose which of them to save before timed explosives go off. If he saves Rachel, Gotham City loses a politician with courage and a moral backbone. But if he saves Harvey, he dooms the woman he loves. (Honest politicians are apparently rare enough on Gotham City that this is a real issue.) Helplessly in thrall to his heart, Batman heads out to save Rachel, but discovers on arrival that he’s been tricked — because Joker switched address on him, his relative selfishness has actually consigned poor Rachel to oblivion.

So Batman suffers not only from the guilt of having failed to rescue Rachel, but from the shame of having been manipulated by the Joker. Not only was he nailed for making the more self-serving of the choices available to him, but he was simultaneously punished by having the only possible justification for that choice — his love for Rachel, and his willingness to continue patrolling Gotham as the Batman in exchange for her safety — stripped from him as a result of his making it. This aspect of the story is surprisingly underplayed, even confusing, but it certainly explains Batman’s decision, after Harvey Dent’s death, to take credit for the murders committed by Dent’s bitter alter-ego, the vengeful Two-Face. And it sheds some light on the Joker’s insight into humanity. Later on, when he tells the passengers on two different ferries that are scheduled to be blown up at the stroke of midnight that the potential victims on either boat can save themselves by making the decision to kill each living soul on the other ferry, is there any doubt that the detonators he gives them are wired to blow up their own boats instead?

The Dark Knight argues that it’s fairly easy to manipulate people through fear — when the Joker threatens to blow up a hospital unless an arbitrary assassination is carried out, the presumption is that anyone from the average man on the street to a cop worried about a sick relative may suddenly turn into a killer — but there are some more specific ruminations on the ease with which people can be manipulated through lies. The Joker is a liar. So is Batman, who takes responsibility for Harvey Dent’s crimes, just as Harvey had falsely claimed to be the Batman earlier in the film. Trusted confidante Alfred (Michael Caine) lies to Bruce Wayne by failing to deliver his Dear John note from Rachel after her death. Gordon lied to his family when he faked his own death. And so on. Crucially, while the Joker lies to promote chaos, the lies told by Batman and his friends are meant to preserve order.

That’s the closest The Dark Knight comes to making explicit reference to the contemporary political landscape. The science-fictional eavesdropping initiative Bruce Wayne develops to get a visual image of the surroundings of any powered-up cell phone is similar to the USA’s Patriot Act, and is itself a form of deception, or at least a betrayal of the public trust. That’s why Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), clearly functioning as the conscience of Wayne Industries (as well as of The Dark Knight), insists on destroying the system as soon as Batman uses it to track down the Joker. Because Lucius betrays his own principles by agreeing to play along for even a moment, it invites the interpretation that Nolan’s film advocates the use of otherwise indefensible tactics under extraordinary circumstances. But it’s clear that Lucius has compromised in his pursuit of a worthy goal, and the film assigns a moral weight to that compromise. The Dark Knight is about how hard it is to do the right thing – not least because in Gotham, as in the rest of the world, moral certitude is more difficult to reach than either idealists or ideologues would have you believe.

A self-proclaimed agent of chaos, the Joker claims he was born out of the disturbance in the mundane cycle in which the mob and the cops fought for control of the city block by block. Before Batman, came on the scene, the Joker writes himself off as nothing more than a skilled pickpocket ripping off common men and mafia members alike. Bored with his life, it could be inferred that his self induced scars were an attempt to stop having to gaze upon a veneer of depression. Spewing various origins for his scars, he makes it clear that it was not one moment that made him this way but instead a prolonged state of boredom in which he wanted to do anything to gaze upon a smile. The Batman provided him a release, someone that would let him perform depraved acts of insanity that would not reach any conclusive goal. Like the Joker says, “I am like a dog chasing a car, I have no idea what I would do if I ever caught it”. The Joker does not want Batman dead, he wants the Batman to kill him so he can corrupt the Caped Crusader’s moral code. He knows this is out of reach, because then life gets boring again. As a result, the movie becomes a mosaic of this escalated realm of heroes and villains.

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”

The Dark Knight and The Joker

This Saturday, I got to see the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, with Naveen, my childhood buddy. We wanted to watch Kung-Fu Panda and/or The Dark Knight. Since, the show timings of Kung-Fu Panda didnt suit us, we settled for this movie.

My personal favorite Super-Heroes are Wolverine n Spiderman! I must admit, I am not a Batman Movie fan. In fact, I even used to avoid them because it was always too dark and you couldn’t see anything properly and hence not understand it. But, All the Rave Reviews abt the Movie in the Papers/TV made me go watch this movie

My opinion abt the Movie? – The movie is grimly dark, vicious, egregiously violent and nasty – and totally engrossing! Outside of this being one of the best action/comic book movies I’ve ever seen, this is simply a great movie. The entire movie was perfect. The acting, the story, the music score, the writing, etc. The cinematography is stunning, having been shot in IMAX. All of the other rave reviews you may have been reading are not gushing for no reason either.

“The Dark Knight” isn’t simply another superhero movie. In fact, it’s really not a superhero movie at all; It’s a super villain movie! This is how a Batman movie should have been made at the first place. Complex, dark and believable. A brilliant one from Christoper Nolan. Memento (the inspiration for Ghajini) was also a very interesting movie.
For as much action as there is in this movie, it’s the acting that makes it a great piece of work. Between all the punches, explosions and stunt-work is some great dialog work. All the actors have their moments.

The performances by the actors are stellar. And Heath Ledger, in particular, steals the show. I was mesmerized by Heath Ledger portrayals of the Joker. Destroying an entire hospital without flinching nor remorse. Killing without a thought. Dark and pyschotic. You will really hate this guy. Heath Ledger’s performance is so spine-chilling and complete, I would not be surprised if he were to get the Oscar nod for Best Actor/Supporting Actor. Unless somebody comes out with something better. In which case, I certainly am gonna go to theatre to watch it.

Another example of perfect casting, Aaron Eckhart shines as Harvey Dent aka Two-Face. Starting off the film as the white knight of Gotham City fighting crimes and injustice, his transformation into the dreaded Two-Face gives us much to empathize with.

Christian Bale once again captivates as the caped crusader who handles Bruce Wayne’s inner turmoil more convincingly than the last film. Though he might have his thunder stolen away from him by Ledger in The Dark Knight, Bale is still effective as the conflicted anti-hero who is destined to be portrayed as a vigilante in the eyes of the public.

Back to the cinematography, this is purportedly the first full-length feature film shot entirely in IMAX. And it shows. If you’re interested, take a look at the sheer complication that went into producing the visual effects for the Dark Knight in IMAX resolution. There was such detail shown by director Christopher Nolan, and it shows.

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Here are some(Yea… Jus’ some) Scene/Dialogues I loved in the Movie:

>>>Bank robbery scene. And in the robbery itself, all the robbers kill each other and only one is left standing. This is (rather predictably) the Joker. Then he makes away in a truck loaded with cash and merges into other truckers who appear from everywhere. Geth Scene!

>>>The joker crashes the party and sees Rachel n says “Hello Beautiful” and fixes his hair. rofl

The Joker: You look nervous. Is it the scars? You want to know how I got them? Come here. Hey, look at me. So I had a wife, beautiful; like you. Who tells me, I worry too much. Who tells me, I ought to smile more. Who gambles, and gets in deep with sharks. One day they carve her face. We have no money for surgeries. She can’t take it! I just want to see her smile again. I just want her to know that I don’t care about the scars. So I stick a razor in my mouth and do this… to myself. And you know what? She can’t stand the sight of me! She leaves. Now I see the funny side. Now I’m always smiling!

The Joker: [Rachel kicks the Joker away] A little fight in you. I like that.

Batman: Then you’re going to love me.

>>> The Joker: Wanna know how I got these scars? My father was…a drinker. And a fiend. And one night he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn’t like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. Turns to me and he says “Why so serious?” Comes at me with the knife, “Why so serious?” He sticks the blade in my mouth. “Lets put a smile on that face!” And… Why so serious?

>>>The Joker: “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” (Enna Thathuvam!)

>>>The Joker: I use a knife because guns are too quick. Otherwise, you can’t savor all the emotions. You know who people are in their last moments.

>>>The Joker: “I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to Do with one if I caught it! I don’t have plans. I just do things.”

>>> The Scene where, Harvey is taken to the prison. On the way, the Joker tries to attack the van. And Batman comes to the rescue. Batman whizzing by in his batpod is supercool! The most notable aspect of the chase is a monster truck that flips over.

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The Joker:

What people don’t really understand about the Joker is that he doesn’t even understand himself. People keep asking, “Why did the Joker give two different stories about how he got those scars?”. The answer is the Joker Himself doesn’t even know. He’s so completely insane [or supersane...read the comics!], he makes himself every day. He doesn’t Have a personality. He just goes with the flow…! And this is why he’s my Favorite Super-Villain!
Whether it’s been Romero, Nicholson or Ledger behind the makeup, and whether he’s been a maniac or a prankster, a clown or a killer, one thing has always remained constant with the Joker: the laugh — a laugh that with each breath seems to say he’s the only sane man in an insane world.

The Joker

The Joker was portrayed in the film as someone who’s likable, as someone who acts as a wish fulfillment part of us. It really is the idea that within us all is that notion that if you could get away with murder, you would murder someone. I find that message to be extremely disappointing in terms of human nature, but you can’t deny that that’s what makes film interesting.

This Joker is the most thoroughly principled and incorruptible character in modern movies. He doesn’t care about money - he contemptuously burns a pile of cash containing millions of dollars — and, unlike Mr. Nicholson’s Joker, he doesn’t even care about power. He consolidates the various mobs of Gotham City merely as a means to his end, which, contrary to numerous editorials we are seeing, isn’t terrorism. Terrorists, in their hearts, believe that they are really the good guys; Mr. Ledger’s Joker has no such illusions. He’s a nihilist whose avowed purpose is to disrupt society by corrupting and destroying its heroes — Batman and Aaron Eckhart’s straight-arrow D.A., Harvey Dent.

In the most unsettling scene ever presented in an action movie, Christian Bale’s Batman is left to interrogate the Joker in a police lock-down room while the police simply watch. Mr. Ledger snickers, leers and goads Batman into beating him up — thus violating his civil rights, which is precisely what the Joker wants Batman to do. It’s a stunning victory for the villain that makes Batman seem helpless.”The Dark Knight” seems to be telling us that, ultimately, we’re completely helpless against any characters as ruthless and ideologically pure as the Joker.

“Some men,” says Michael Caine’s Alfred the Butler to Bruce Wayne, “aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. Some just want to watch the world burn.” Is the only alternative to become as merciless as your opponent? It’s a dilemma that leaves Batman in the dark.

Anyway, it’s based on a comic book series, so we should not take any of it too seriously, but it should be seen for Heath Ledger’s last great performance. Oscar?  I wish I had a vote.

With only its weaker point being the character development, The Dark Knight is without a doubt, the must-watch film of 2008. If you haven’t seen it yet, I strongly encourage you to take in this soon-to-be classic.

Too Lazy To Shave!

To you guys out there, I’m trying to remember just why it was that, when we were young, we thought it would be so cool to grow facial hair.

From an evolutionary point of view, there are lots of different theories about why men have facial hair and why women, for the most part, don’t.
I actually tried to find this out, but there were so many theories out there, it seems the scientific world really doesn’t know for sure.
There’s the theory that men went out into the cold the most to do their hunting, so they needed beards for warmth.
There’s a theory that it’s just a simple fact of hormones.
There’s the belief that mens’ facial hair is just another evolutionary development to attract females as a sign of masculinity. And there are more.
Whatever, to me it doesn’t make much sense.

Basically, upon reflection, I remember getting man-hairier when i was in my 12th std…which seemed cool to me, then. I was around 17yrs old! I was told that, it will grow thicker and in a more proper way, only if you start shaving. So, i wanted to shave.

A few of my friends, had started shaving regularly. For some reason, this insulted me, coz it made me feel like a small boy. “I’ll show them!” I thought. “I’ll have crazy thick hair on my face!”
And, unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. Crazy Hair!

The first time i shaved was as soon as i finished my 12th std. I went shopping and bought the Razor, Shaving Cream, Brush, After-Shave Lotion, etc etc! The next day morning i woke up early, all charged up to do my first shave!
I Grabbed the razor, popped in a fresh blade, and made everything ready with what is quite possibly the perfect shave setup. After rinsing my face, lathered up thickly and shaved whatever small mustache and beard that was there! And then there was the aftershave.
I was only shaving fuzz, but it was cool.

After that i started shaving once in 2-3 months, then every month and now it has become every week!

I have suffered many cuts and scrapes and various other outrageous misfortunes whilst trying to maintain a clean-shaven look and feel!

Once during my second year, frm the study hols till the next semester beginning, i didnt shave. I was too lazy and so let it grow. Having a beard was kind of cool! I think it made me look tough! I really hate shaving and it was fun not to for a while. In the end I gave up. I just couldnt find the right balance or scruffiness and sophistication!

Besides that, professionally, I can’t go around looking unshaven and unkempt. I either have to be clean-shaven or have a beard…I can’t BE in between, unless I’ve decided I’m growing a beard.

The task went from a “do it when you want to feel like a grownup” thing to a “do it every day if you don’t want to look like Grizzly Adams” thing.

Now, I’ve certainly reached a point where shaving has become a chore.

I hate Shaving! (

I wish, i knew magic, so that i could control the amount of hair on my face. I could make it grow to exactly the size and shape i want it to be! But, unfortunately, in reality, i cant make do without shaving.

So, shaving is a necessary evil in my life!!!

Hey… Catch U ppl later… I gotta go shave now…!!!

The Versant Experience!

I had joined Sutherland recently. They put me in the DELL Process. We were given a 15 Day Comm Training, after which, we were to be shortlisted based on our performance in Two Tests.
1.A Mock Call (conducted like a one on one interview)
2.Versant Test
For the uninitiated, Versant is an automated test of spoken English. It evaluates the ability to understand, be understood and general English language proficiency.

This Monday i gave my Versant Test. I had been to Tirupati the previous day. I had very little sleep coz we had returned only by midnight. I woke up late and started to get ready in a hurry, when I got a call frm Sakthivel, my frnd in Sutherland who came with me in the same cab. He told me that my name was not in the list that day and that the cab driver refused to come to my place. So perfect in cancelling the cab(coz our 15 days of training was over), did they show this sincerity while providing us cab for the first time!~! Anyways, i had more time now. I can relax and eat properly.
I then took my Bike and went on to pick up ma frnd Sripadharajan. We reached the Perungudi Office on time. We were asked to wait in the Conference room. Then, the H(aitch)R Sangeetha came and we practised the pronounciation with her.

The first one to give the Versant Test was Krithika (She’s the one who’s very much into this Accent and Pronounciation thing, in my class. In Velammal language, Topppperrrrr! ) She cleared the Test with 64points.

Actually we were told that we had to be loud and clear so that the machine can understand us properly. Since girls usually have a low pitched voice, they were asked to be a bit louder than normal. So, Swapna,  the next girl who went in, started screaming! She got too much excited and worried about the whole thing, which made her shout! Poor Girl! She got only 42 and failed in the Test. 60 out of 80, was what one had to get to clear Versant.

It was almost 1pm and so we were asked to have our lunch. I too was getting excited and wanted to get done with it. Ah, How I hate Exams! So, myself and Pawan went in as soon as we finished our lunch.

I went into the Versant Test Room… There was a Telephone and a Headphone. The Lady in-charge dialled the ordinate system and put me on line.

Voice over the Phone(VoP): Thank you for calling the Ordinate testing system.

Me: {My Pleasure!!!} ( (Ma heart started beating faster! I dont know why, whenever i go for an Interview or an Exam it happens like that)

VoP: Please enter your Test Identification Number on the telephone keypad.

Me: Dialled my Versant TIN(Test Identifaication Number) – 12345678

VoP: Now, please say your name.

Me: {Ah, My Name! Now wat was that!} Shanmugam

VoP: Now, please follow the instructions for Parts A through E.

Me: {Ok Ok! I’ll Try to!}

And then, I gave the Test! Part A was Reading. Part B – Repeat. Part C – One Word Answers. Part D – Sentence Builds. Part E – Open Questions.

I actually didnt listen to the voice properly. {I was thinking how loud i was? After giving a wrong answer for a question, i would remember its correct answer after sometime! And when i am thinking abt the correct answer, i would miss the next question! And like this my concentration was not at all on the voice most of the time! I had done better than this in all my practise files!}

And i finished the Test. Pawan also came out at the same time. We waited for the Results.

The other guys who were waiting for their turn asked me what were the Questions. I didnt remember any questions! Only one Question that i remembered was this one in Part C! VoP: To chill it, what do you add to water? Me: Sugar. (But, said that with perfect accent and pronounciation! lolz!) Its always like that… As soon as i come out of the Exam Hall, i would forget everything! Absolutely Everything!

And soon the Lady in-charge saw ma results in the ordinate website and told me that i had scored 71!

71! :O That was a Surprise!

But whatever, i dont care. We guys have finished engineering, without even once worrying about the percentage et al, ithenna jujuppi matter!!! The Only thing that Matters is whether you are IN or OUT!

And thankfully, am IN! One Month Salary vaangama poratha illa!

I’m at home since then… Havent got my Tech Training scheduled yet!

“You don’t Drink Alcohol? Why…?”

I am often asked this question, so I thought I would answer the question here.

When someone asks me whether i would like to have a drink, My short answer is that “I don’t feel like I need it.” That’s good enough for some!

But it’s not as haphazard as that simple explanation makes it sound. I have given it a lot of thought. I kinda see it as something I’d need a reason to start doing, rather than something I need a reason not to do. I sometimes ask people why they do drink. The usual responses are “to fit in,” “to be social,” and “to let loose.” I think I do all right covering all three of these on my own.

There are a couple of reasons I’ve come up with through my own observations, that people either aren’t aware of or can’t say aloud. I sometimes see people using alcohol as an excuse to act a little dumber. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Consider the man who can’t get on the dance floor until he’s had a few drinks, or the boy who can’t go up and talk to a girl without a little liquid courage. I am not those people. I’ll dance when I want to dance, and I’ll talk to the women I’m going to talk to without needing any form of crutch.

So fine, it’s not a necessity for me. But it’s fun, right? Why not give it a try?

So, i went on to give it a try during one of the tours with ma college buddies. Well, i dont know whether you can consider that as getting drunk. Because, we drank only Apple Cider, its just a beverage(like wine) made from juice pressed from apples and its alcoholic content is the least among all. Only 7%!

That was in Manali. Myself, Kanthimathinathan and Hariharan were determined to taste wine/beer or something during this tour! We wanted to know the Mystery behind getting drunk! We had purchased 2 bottles of Apple Cider from the Factory Outlet of a Apple Winery on our way to Manali! Before buying we checked out the alcoholic contect of all types of alcoholic beverages they had in stock. Beer, wine, heavy liquor or any other spirit. Apple Cider had the least, so we went on to buy it. We reached Manali, and went shopping. After returning to our rooms, we prepared ourselves to get drunk. It was all so funny. Hari had bought himself a small bottle of 8PM(it has a higher alcoholic content) and Kanthi and Myself had one bottle of cider each. We started drinking. Yuck! It’s taste was so awful. I was wondering, if this cider(with its least alcoholic content) itself was so horrible, how would the other alcoholic beverages taste! And after finishing off the bottle, I was expecting that something would happen! It didnt make me dumber or do weird things as i was expecting! lolz! I was as normal as before! So, we started to prepare our beds for sleeping. Within sometime, Kanthi started vomitting all over the room. And so, Myself and Hari, went to sleep in the next room with our other friends, while Kanthi cleaned up the mess and slept in our room! We still have all those photos and videos. It was all very funny and hilarious. From then on he got the nickname WINE KANTHI!

Eventhough i drank that day, I never really enjoyed the taste.  I’d have to hold my nose to drink that, much to the amusement of my friends.

And now finally i’ve made a decision! I don wanna drink. Unless, someone does something to improve the taste!

I listed down some reasons that i could think of for making this decision. They are:

1.Because it Tastes bad.

I can’t stand the smell and taste of alcohol, and don’t understand what is appealing about chugging down huge quantities of what is essentially poison, into my body. And if ever, I want a drink in my hand, nothing beats a Pepsi.

2. I enjoy being in control.

And being sober around drunk people, I see what stupid decisions and mistakes that drunk people make all the time. In fact, that’s the best thing about being sober – you get to laugh at everyone else, and still be able to remember it the next morning.

3.Because I like to drive.

I can take my own car anywhere, leave whenever I want to, and not have to shell out money for a taxi or bum a ride off somebody else.

4.Because I don’t need to be drunk to have fun.

I’m glad I have at least experienced a lot of stuff so far in my life that I don’t feel like I have missed out on anything so far.

Well, this is my Personal Decision. I’d not militantly say everyone should give it up, or that anyone should aspire to follow my lead. I just wish more people could acknowledge that it’s a reasonable conclusion to have reached for myself, and let me have it.

I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

My First Road Trip!

This Trip to Mahabalipuram with ma frnds in Bike, was my first Road Trip out of City!

I had not informed my Parents abt the Plans, but eventually my mom found out abt it later!

It was during our Second Year in College… When we were sitting in the Workshop and chatting(as always), someone came up with this idea of Bunking College and going somewhere on a one day road trip in our bikes. We actually planned to go to Tada Falls… Initially, when we planned it in college, nearly 20-30 guys frm ma class agreed. But, after going back home, the guys started giving various reasons for not coming, one by one. The count went on decreasing. So, it was as good as cancelled!

The Next Morning i woke up to Tune of my N-Gage QD Ringing! It was my frnd Raja over the phone, who told me his new plans(Mahabalipuram)! I told him i’ll call him back after ascertaining the situation at my place. I had to check whether the atmosphere is conducive for Bunking or not! Thankfully, we had guests at home that day and mom was quite busy with them. So, after some time i informed ma frnds that i would be coming. And then, i got ready as usual and left home at around 7am.

Srinivas and Myself stayed in the Same Apartments. So, i went to the ground and waited for him. All the other guys were to come to our Apartments. We were 6 in all. Srinivas and Me. Naren and Hem Kumar. Raja and Senthil Kumar. So, we started from our Apartments which was in Anna Nagar and went via Maduavoyal to the By-Pass(200ft) Road. This 200ft Road was almost empty and we zoomed away to GST Road in No time. As the saying goes, Journey is more important than the destination. We enjoyed the Travelling part, which was the most exciting. Coming back to the journey, We took a left turn near Crescent Engineering College and went on till the end of that road. We were a bit hungry by then and had some snacks and water at a nearby Bakery Shop. Then, we went on to Mahabalipuram. On the way we had to pay at some Toll Gate in OMR. I paid for the three of us and kept the tickets in my pocket and forgot about it!!! On our way, Raja tried doing some stunts. He was so busy showing off that he drove over a fresh cowdung and it splashed all over his pant! And there were a lot of funny moments that day.

At Mahabalipuram, we parked our Bikes and walked to the beach! The beach was nearly empty as it was very hot! We roamed around the place. Climbed the Rocks. Caught some crabs. Played in the Water

It was almost 2pm by then. We took our bikes and started back home. Before leaving Mahabalipuram, we finished our lunch at a roadside dhabba. While returning we took the ECR route. Again while coming back we raced each other.

I enjoy driving fast, but thats only when i am in the Driver’s Seat!!!

Hmmm… When we were almost near Muttukadu, Naren’s Bike’s Engine got heated up and it stopped. So, we towed his bike along with us to the Muttukadu Boat House and parked our vehicles there. We had to wait till his bike gets naturally cooled down. We went to the Boat house and lazed around at that place. After some time, we were back on track and reached home in the evening.

I didnt say anything at home and was back doing things as i always do after going back home from college.

I went back to Routine and forgot about that incident. But, i had a surprise waiting for me! After a few days, my mom asked me how was the Mahabalipuram Trip? I was really surprised, how she got to know the place and all?! I asked ‘What Mahabalipuram?’ Like if i didnt know anything. But, am not that good at telling lies, and after some time i let it out, said sorry and asked her how she found that out?! Then, my brother showed me the Toll Gate Ticket! It was clearly written in the Ticket as “Mahabalipuram”! I forgot about the tickets entirely, and my mom found those papers while washing my pants.

Well, my mom didnt say anything, coz am back home safe and sound(the reason she wud not let me out, is reg my safety), and maybe also that what has happened has happened. My folks are not that strict. But still, i didnt tell them because, my mom is usually afraid of the speed at which i drive and if i had told them i would be going to Mahabalipuram she would definitely not have let me go, then!

Anyways, it was a wonderful trip that day. The Bike Journey was the most exciting maybe coz it was my first time! It also taught me a lesson in life(which is the Moral of the Story). You gotta experience anything to understand it! And i learnt from my experience that day! Innime, alert ah irupom la! lolz

Moral of the Story:

It’s Only Wrong if You Get Caught!

Thappu Senja Thadayam Illaama Seiyanum!

My First Vehicle: Hercules AXN

We came to Chennai in the Summer of 2000. I had finished ma 8th Std and had to join 9th Std here in Chennai. We were trying to get admission in KV, Ashok Nagar thro’ some MP Quota. So, till then, i was staying at home doing nothing! Yea… Nothing! Our things had not yet arrived frm Delhi, so i didnt even have TV to watch then! I was new to the Place and wanted to Explore… And so I decided to learn Cycling!

The reason behind the then sudden attraction to the Cycle was

1. I hated travelling by Bus.
2. I was too lazy to Walk.
3. I didnt know to ride a Motorcycle/Car/Train/Plane or for that matter any Vehicle! Cycle was the first step that cud lead to others!

My mom agreed to teach me Cycling!
She bought me a Lady Bird Cycle (I was Ok with it initially, but later when i joined school, it was so so embarassing to take it to school!) coz she felt it would be better for me to learn cycling in a Lady Bird, than with other cycles having a bar, which would be difficult to mount! I agreed to it(i always do, being a nice boy!)

I then pledged to save earth by

1. not polluting the environment with smoke
2. conserving fuel usage by not using Motorcycles
3. making the earth greener.

My first Cycling Lesson:

I learnt cycling in just 1 hour! The first time i cycled was around 1st Sector KK Nagar. Ma mom held the cycle for me and then i climbed into it. And then kept ma hands in the handle bar. And started pedalling. Wow! It was so easy. I started pedalling and the cycle started moving. Ma mom came running along with me for a few feet. And then she removed her hands. I was cycling all alone. It was so cool. The streets were almost empty. So, no worry abt others! I came around the 1st sector. I turned left right again left. It was all so easy. Suddenly, one old man came in front of me out of nowhere!!!
I didnt expect him at all. So, inorder to avoid him, i turned the handle bar. I didnt know how to brake! I remembered mom saying that where the brakes were, i looked at the brakes. But, I was too frightened to remove ma fingers frm the handle bar and press the brake. I hit a stationary car standing in a corner of the street, and fell down. Thank God, the owner of that car was nowhere nearby. I took the cycle and ran back home, pulling the cycle along with me.

And from then on i got the hang of it. I would take the cycle, wherever i was asked to go. Even to the shop in front our house!! I was more than willing to run errands for ma mom(that is, for the first few months!)

And soon i joined school. And after a few months, me and my brother fought over the ownership of the cycle. So, ma parents decided to buy us another cycle. This time around, i wanted to buy a Gents Cycle! Coz i was by then experienced and had a little bit better knowledge of cycles. I settled for a Blue Colored Hercules AXN for somwhere around Rs. 2000/-.

This Hercules AXN was for me and i gave the Lady Bird to ma Brother, citing the reason that i was more experienced than ma bother in cycling(atleast by a few days!)
And, thus, Hercules AXN became the first ever Vehicle i owned. That Lady Bird was not mine! Ma parents had bought it saying that me and my bother both should share it. So, officially, Hercules AXN is ma first ever Vehicle!
It holds lotsa memories and fun i had with it along with ma School friends. I used it till ma 12th std!