A chat transcript from my Gmail chat history:
we cared abt "silly" politics
strange ideas
surreal street dramas
presi 2 us wasnt a college, it was an experience, an idea that we all cherish
how i wish i could go back, NOW!!!
Showing posts with label college madness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college madness. Show all posts
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Monday, October 5, 2009
Presi Days- Looking Back
After a year of anxiety, 2 months of touring the country, a day of heartbreak and 20 days of sheer depression, here i am, scribbling something perhaps rather immaterial on a blog page where i thought i might be ashamed to write on again...
It's been about 3 months since i left home, 2 months since i left calcutta for the place i really really wanted to be in. Presidentians dream big... i dunno if it's talent or just luck that most of them end up to be pretty well settled.
A month before coming to IGIDR, Ritika and me were at HCU- awesome campus, perhaps good teachers but i hated it there. Dunno why exactly- there were too many reasons. But it was mostly i guess the fact that the people around lacked the antel way if dressing that we are used to. Well, don't get me wrong- i just mean to say, irrespective of the pathetic sense of fashion we Kolkatans have (ya now i can say that coz am in mumbai n in a slightly higher fashion plane), there was a charm in the way Presi people carried themselves and that wasn't present in even 1 person out of a batch of about 80 there. There were people conversing non-stop in Malayli n Tamil and yes, no telugu. The food sucked big time... In short, you find nothing good when you are in a sad set of mind.
Then on one of those lazy yet tired worn out yet karenge ya marenge afternoons, IGIDR happened. Perhaps you all know this is where i wanted to come to coz i thought the academic pressure would be the least here and the corporate jobs really good!!
It's been 2 months, am where i wanted to be, involved in the Placement Committee, perhaps doing what i would wanna do a year back. But still there's a void. When i talk about Marx, people don't argue with me. When a Prof cracks and intelligent joke, Ritika and i are the only people who laugh and get stared at. The innocent jokes which seemed hilarious when Dipu narrated them now seem to be a pain. Some sarcastic comments that i used to expect people would understand are either not taken no note of or are taken in a straight way. Mind you, i'm in one of the country's best academic institutes... still wondering what academics really counts for.
At times i miss the presi politics, not coz i wanna make a political career but coz i wanna know more n the whole learning seems so incomplete without Ritam da's cool way of explaining, Rakesh da's hyperactive self or Sayantan da's passion in whatever he said with Dipu cracking a suicidal joke in the middle of no where.
Presi happens just once... Presi is fun, Presi is home... it's where we belong- perhaps people call me a pseudointellectual snob here but for once am being true... very very true. It's in our blood, we can't do away with it... once a Presidentian, always a Presidentian
Monday, February 9, 2009
Reminisicing Presi Elections
I don't care anymore who says what... For the n-th time in Presi, today I feel liberated. I won competitions writing about college politics but it's so strange... 3 years ago I was a different being! And all these incidents relate to my best friends... Strange but true!!
1st year college elections:
2nd year college elections: (By now I was confirmed for IC.)
3rd year college elections: (By now I wonder how how how we still don't have a good opposition in the state... enough of these pseudo communists!!! Enough of their strange manupulative dictatorial regime!!! x-( )
I went to Sayantan da (our G. Sec then for those who don't know.) He showed me a paper cutting of the tender ad that had come out n SFI wasn't even informed of it!!! What kinda opposition are those who dunno what the party in power does????
Finally before leaving college, whether IC wins or loses this election... I really want an answer!! What kind of politics does SFI practice?? Just abduction n attempt to win? (Hats off to your organizational skills though.. but then that has to be given the pyramidal party structure!) For once.. for once lemme believe in what I believed before I entered Presi- "Who's IC? SFI is the only option to choose!!"
1st year college elections:
- Aritree din't have her id card and SFI declined to recognize her as a college student.
- I saw Scottish people climbing the Presi main gate into the college while the counting was on. It was scary when Pushan da n Sourya da climbed up the gate n threatened everyone...
2nd year college elections: (By now I was confirmed for IC.)
- Raj da was house arrested.
3rd year college elections: (By now I wonder how how how we still don't have a good opposition in the state... enough of these pseudo communists!!! Enough of their strange manupulative dictatorial regime!!! x-( )
- Arindam gets a threat call- if he comes to vote, consequences will take a toll on him!!!
I went to Sayantan da (our G. Sec then for those who don't know.) He showed me a paper cutting of the tender ad that had come out n SFI wasn't even informed of it!!! What kinda opposition are those who dunno what the party in power does????
Finally before leaving college, whether IC wins or loses this election... I really want an answer!! What kind of politics does SFI practice?? Just abduction n attempt to win? (Hats off to your organizational skills though.. but then that has to be given the pyramidal party structure!) For once.. for once lemme believe in what I believed before I entered Presi- "Who's IC? SFI is the only option to choose!!"
Saturday, January 31, 2009
A little of what is going on in here
Sometimes, the thing you want to write most about is the very thing you want no one else to read. You want to write it down, with loops and flourishes, or perhaps chicken scratched on a piece of waste paper, fold it up, stuff it inside a drawer and then never ever remember it.
Or perhaps tear it up in shreds and hide it in the lane behind the college.
Dear college, you haven of secret whispers and dreams. You are a warm hug, you are my solace and sanctuary, my friend, my first love, my constant love, and, as I once promised you, my most favourite place on earth.
Darling, darling Presi, you shall always be my most favourite place on earth, wherever I end up going.
Or perhaps tear it up in shreds and hide it in the lane behind the college.
Dear college, you haven of secret whispers and dreams. You are a warm hug, you are my solace and sanctuary, my friend, my first love, my constant love, and, as I once promised you, my most favourite place on earth.
Darling, darling Presi, you shall always be my most favourite place on earth, wherever I end up going.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Unsent Letters
I have never learned to love the way people love away,
I find it hard to trust, to believe,
To find constancy of affection for any single being,
To love knowing you are true, intransient in every way.
All I ever did wish was to love, just once,
In such a way that I would be incapable of ever loving again,
That I would find love, a love which would be so irrevocably mine,
I would know it was mine with the first glance.
I loved you once, with a madness uncompared,
Then hated you more, a feeling more intense,
Then I found out how I felt nothing anymore,
You were dead, love was dead, my heart was spared.
Yet, now, when you are gone, gone forever,
I roll between the sheets worrying over things unsaid,
I see now, I am a part of you,
More than you were a part of me ever.
My heart aches, I weep under covers
Not thinking of you gets harder,
I dream of the days when were friends,
perhaps more, perhaps lovers.
And I see I am in love with you after all,
And I am too late again.
I find it hard to trust, to believe,
To find constancy of affection for any single being,
To love knowing you are true, intransient in every way.
All I ever did wish was to love, just once,
In such a way that I would be incapable of ever loving again,
That I would find love, a love which would be so irrevocably mine,
I would know it was mine with the first glance.
I loved you once, with a madness uncompared,
Then hated you more, a feeling more intense,
Then I found out how I felt nothing anymore,
You were dead, love was dead, my heart was spared.
Yet, now, when you are gone, gone forever,
I roll between the sheets worrying over things unsaid,
I see now, I am a part of you,
More than you were a part of me ever.
My heart aches, I weep under covers
Not thinking of you gets harder,
I dream of the days when were friends,
perhaps more, perhaps lovers.
And I see I am in love with you after all,
And I am too late again.
Friday, August 22, 2008
How Economic Models are Made (or What Heads of Institutions I will be Applying to Should Not Come Across
"He Dharti ma, mujhe apne god me samale!!"
"No, nothing, not even a budge," Bonky observed and tilted her head in thought. "Maybe you have got the words wrong. These goddesses are very picky about the words you say."
"Hmm, should we be more specific you think? Maybe ask her to open a crevice and then add the 'god me samale' bit?"
"If you ask me, she would get offended if you treat her like a kid. Next you know, the earth will start contracting again and we will end up right next to the Russians and Bangladesh will become a mountain."
"As admirable as your Geography is, I think its worth an effort."
The revised version of the classic suicide appeal was exclaimed again with full fervour with no tragic results and we were left mulling over the undivided road yet again.
"You know what I think? Dharti ma has done her work. Now we need to appeal to the god of roads. The earth is probably all hollowed and awaiting my corpse. We need to pray to the road to divide and let me access my grave."
"Trying to commit suicide, are we? Is this because they abolished the examinations for masters at Presi? Come, come now, we know suicide is too drastic a step, do not we? Try breaking a leg or something," remarked an interloper.
"We have an examination for masters? Since when? You think mundane stuff like this drives to me to desperation? Ye hardly know me, interloper."
"Of course we do," said the interloper, ignoring everything else but the reference to examinations. "Don't you remember PM telling us some girl only drew a downward sloping line when asked what a budget line was?"
"No. Who is PM?"
"Uh, the Indian Economy professor, but never mind that. Why in the world are you looking so thoughtful? Last I saw you thoughtful was when you were making paper balls to throw at..."
"Yes, never mind that. Ask me that question again."
"Why in the world are you..? Oh, oh, you mean what is a budget line?"
"Seriously, what is a budget line. It is a downward sloping line, that is all. What more could we add? That it looks like a rainbow from afar if drawn with one of those multi coloured pens?"
Bonky, appalled by my ignorance, added her own intellectual input to the answer, "It has a negative slope. Oh, and in case supply is rationed.."
Quelling her with a glance, I continued "Let me think out the answer without trying to write downward sloping lines have a negative slope. Oh, oh wait, I know, a budget line is a downward sloping line. This means it slopes...er...downwards.."
"Oh yes," Bonky interrupted forcibly. " I can not mention downward sloping lines have negative slopes but you can mention downward sloping lines slope downwards. Not only are you a despot, you are a..."
"Careful with your language. I have a feeling I might be blogging about this later."
"You blog about us?? You mean our conversations and everything?"
"Of course not," I remarked airily. "Now stop interrupting my answer. So, since a budget line slopes downwards, we can assume the force of gravity acts on it."
"We can assume what," she exclaimed .
"I am just incorporating a bit of tenth grade Physics. You should know gravity now. You studied Physics at high school, did not you? Waste of time in my opinion, when you had to end up as an economist and forget about gravity. So, where were we? Oh yes, let us assume slope of budget line is -1. It can be anything really, we just need a negative value. So do not go stretch the syllables of the word 'what' again. Accelaration due to gravity is 9.8 m/sec². Now, we will proceed to equate them. Therefore, -1= 9.8 m/sec². Bonky, why are your eyes popping out?"
"Are they? I never noticed. The weather, perhaps? Tell me," she added conversationally," do not you think equating -1 with 9.8 is rather pathbreaking? Not many people dare to do it."
"I did not equate it with 9.8, Bonky," I replied, a strained note creeping in my my voice due to all the unnecessary explanations. " I equated it with 9.8 m/sec². And close your mouth. What with all the eye popping and mouth gaping, you are beginning to look like Fishface"
"That, of course, makes all the difference."
"Now for the last bit of my answer and pray do not interrupt me again. Cross multiplying, we can say -1/9.8 = m/sec². Bonky, I see you goggling again. It is a very unnerving habit. Get rid of it. Sec² can not be negative, since it is a square, which implies meter is negative. However, we know distance is a scalar quantity and can not be negative."
"So? Go on. You interest me enormously. How will you deal with this obstruction to your brilliance?"
"So, Bonky, all it proves is that a budget line does not exist. The concept of a budget line is mathematically unsound and hence, all we have learnt in Consumer Behaviour is based on the foundation of mathematically incorrect theories. Which means our Part 1 examination was one big lie."
"You know," remarked Bonky, after thinking it over a bit," I think the ground vibrated a little. Want to try that prayer again?"
"No, nothing, not even a budge," Bonky observed and tilted her head in thought. "Maybe you have got the words wrong. These goddesses are very picky about the words you say."
"Hmm, should we be more specific you think? Maybe ask her to open a crevice and then add the 'god me samale' bit?"
"If you ask me, she would get offended if you treat her like a kid. Next you know, the earth will start contracting again and we will end up right next to the Russians and Bangladesh will become a mountain."
"As admirable as your Geography is, I think its worth an effort."
The revised version of the classic suicide appeal was exclaimed again with full fervour with no tragic results and we were left mulling over the undivided road yet again.
"You know what I think? Dharti ma has done her work. Now we need to appeal to the god of roads. The earth is probably all hollowed and awaiting my corpse. We need to pray to the road to divide and let me access my grave."
"Trying to commit suicide, are we? Is this because they abolished the examinations for masters at Presi? Come, come now, we know suicide is too drastic a step, do not we? Try breaking a leg or something," remarked an interloper.
"We have an examination for masters? Since when? You think mundane stuff like this drives to me to desperation? Ye hardly know me, interloper."
"Of course we do," said the interloper, ignoring everything else but the reference to examinations. "Don't you remember PM telling us some girl only drew a downward sloping line when asked what a budget line was?"
"No. Who is PM?"
"Uh, the Indian Economy professor, but never mind that. Why in the world are you looking so thoughtful? Last I saw you thoughtful was when you were making paper balls to throw at..."
"Yes, never mind that. Ask me that question again."
"Why in the world are you..? Oh, oh, you mean what is a budget line?"
"Seriously, what is a budget line. It is a downward sloping line, that is all. What more could we add? That it looks like a rainbow from afar if drawn with one of those multi coloured pens?"
Bonky, appalled by my ignorance, added her own intellectual input to the answer, "It has a negative slope. Oh, and in case supply is rationed.."
Quelling her with a glance, I continued "Let me think out the answer without trying to write downward sloping lines have a negative slope. Oh, oh wait, I know, a budget line is a downward sloping line. This means it slopes...er...downwards.."
"Oh yes," Bonky interrupted forcibly. " I can not mention downward sloping lines have negative slopes but you can mention downward sloping lines slope downwards. Not only are you a despot, you are a..."
"Careful with your language. I have a feeling I might be blogging about this later."
"You blog about us?? You mean our conversations and everything?"
"Of course not," I remarked airily. "Now stop interrupting my answer. So, since a budget line slopes downwards, we can assume the force of gravity acts on it."
"We can assume what," she exclaimed .
"I am just incorporating a bit of tenth grade Physics. You should know gravity now. You studied Physics at high school, did not you? Waste of time in my opinion, when you had to end up as an economist and forget about gravity. So, where were we? Oh yes, let us assume slope of budget line is -1. It can be anything really, we just need a negative value. So do not go stretch the syllables of the word 'what' again. Accelaration due to gravity is 9.8 m/sec². Now, we will proceed to equate them. Therefore, -1= 9.8 m/sec². Bonky, why are your eyes popping out?"
"Are they? I never noticed. The weather, perhaps? Tell me," she added conversationally," do not you think equating -1 with 9.8 is rather pathbreaking? Not many people dare to do it."
"I did not equate it with 9.8, Bonky," I replied, a strained note creeping in my my voice due to all the unnecessary explanations. " I equated it with 9.8 m/sec². And close your mouth. What with all the eye popping and mouth gaping, you are beginning to look like Fishface"
"That, of course, makes all the difference."
"Now for the last bit of my answer and pray do not interrupt me again. Cross multiplying, we can say -1/9.8 = m/sec². Bonky, I see you goggling again. It is a very unnerving habit. Get rid of it. Sec² can not be negative, since it is a square, which implies meter is negative. However, we know distance is a scalar quantity and can not be negative."
"So? Go on. You interest me enormously. How will you deal with this obstruction to your brilliance?"
"So, Bonky, all it proves is that a budget line does not exist. The concept of a budget line is mathematically unsound and hence, all we have learnt in Consumer Behaviour is based on the foundation of mathematically incorrect theories. Which means our Part 1 examination was one big lie."
"You know," remarked Bonky, after thinking it over a bit," I think the ground vibrated a little. Want to try that prayer again?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)