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October 4th, 2004

09:26 pm Some pics from the trip. And I guess a picture does speak more than a thousand words... Am down with a heavy cough. Feeling terrible really. Nako Lake. Indescribable. </a> Ancient fort at Morang. People say the pandavas built it. </a> Kinner Kailash at Kalpa </a> Kamroo Fort at Sangla. </a> Toy Train from Kalka </a> The temple at Sarahan ( stayed inside the temple complex) </a> Nako Village </a> Chandratal lake. The long drive and a overnight stay at a shitty hotel was worth it. And How... </a> The Mall at Manali in Black and White </a> Woman reading a book at Kibber, highest motorable village in the world </a> A menu with positive vibrations... </a> Current Mood: sick Current Music: La Isla Bonita...courtesy my adjacent room.

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September 26th, 2004

06:53 pm - Back to civilization Hit Manali couple of hours back. Interesting things happen along the way in the wilderness of Spiti. Details and Photos later. Current Mood: busy

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September 22nd, 2004

01:22 pm - Himachal Diary - 1 19th September, Sunday ---------------------- We leave Shimla in the morning. Mr Anil Bharadwaj from Band Box travels along with his two rosy-cheeked kids come to pick us up from the mall and introduce us to Kamal, who will be our driver and companion for the coming 7 days or so. Kamal is the archetypical pahari who during the off-season cultivates potatoes and maize in his plot of land just outside Shimla and during the tourist season augments his income by doubling as a driver/guide to the masses which throng to the hills. Altogether a very pleasant fella. Our comfort level rises after seeing him negotiate couple of hair-pin bends on the way to Kufri, on the outskirts of Shimla. Kufri's claim to fame is that it houses the famous Chini Bungalow where the Shimla Agreement was signed. Now that historic bungalow has been turned into a restaurant cum park serving Zingaro beer and delicious mango icecream. We stop for a few minutes at Kufri and then move on away from Shimla towards the picturesque Sangla valley. First stop : Narkanda. Good thing about Narkanda is that it has an internet cafe. We had to fill up our ITC Summer intern forms and were wondering where in earth we can do so. Thankfully an hour at the internet cafe and a very slow dial-up sees us through. From Narkanda we drive on during the afternoon through breath-taking valleys and apple orchards on our way to Sarahan via Rampur. Along the way we catch our first glimpse of the Sutlej and we stop the car besides the narrow road to click a few photos. By the time we reach Sarahan its quite late around 8 in the night and the air is quite chilly ( we are above 3000 feet now). We halt for the nite at Sarahan, no not in a hotel but in a temple! The temple of Bhimkali to be precise. The temple guest-house is nice and clean and the Hotel Sirahan nearby serves a pretty good Biryani, though a trifle on the expensive side. We split a bottle of Sandpiper, and grab a few momos in a tibetian eating stall on the walk back to the temple complex. The bottle of VAT-69 is inaguarated within the temple complex. We hope the Devi won't be too displeased. 20th September, Monday ---------------------- A quick bath and a darshan of the devi later, we set out from Sarahan to our next stop Sangla. We leave the Sutlej behind and the road winds along besides the Baspa river. The view is fantastic and on the way we encounter a lot of Hydel Power projects on the Baspa. We pull into Sangla by late afternoon and catch our first glimpse of the Kailash mountain. From Sangla it looks pretty close and the tops are still covered with ice. The backdrop, with the Kailash overtowering the small village of Sangla and the Baspa meandering past through the valley is awesome. We decide to stop for the night at a small apple orchard that also takes in guests for a warm bed and wholesome food. Immediately after checking in, we decide to walk down from Sangla to the Baspa river bank. That takes us the better part of the hour and we pass through a Nag temple and quaint little himalayan village with beautiful wooden huts along the way. A dip of our toes in the Baspa and its sooooooo cold. Back again to the orchard cum guest-house and we sit down to some awfully tasty mutton curry and rice. This I can defintely tell is really mutton from real himalayan goats. Lip smackingly tasty. VAT-69 and we tuck in for the night. 21st September, Tuesday ----------------------- Next day morning we take a small trek to the Kamroo fort located in another village just above Sangla. 5 minutes, the proprietor of the guest house informs us. Possibly he is unaware of the fact that we are from the plains and navigating steep and narrow mountain roads is an altogether different ball-game. The walk takes us over 45 minutes but well worth it. The scenery from the fort is even more stunning. The walk back aided by gravity takes a lot less time and we are in time to set out from Sangla to Chitkul, where the road ends abrubtly. Chitkul really is lands end. Around 3-4 foreign trekkers, a small hotel which serves steamimg coffee and basic food, if you want any and a few huts make up Chitkul. Peaceful, Cold and beautiful. A steep climb brings us again to the banks of the Baspa. We sit on the rocks and continue to do just that for the next hour or so, taking in the breath-taking beauty and getting used to the thin mountain air. Our original plan was to drive back to Sangla and this time spend our time in a tent by the banks of the river there. Senthil was starting to develop a slight cold and temperature and we decided to scrap that plan and drive on to the Kinnaur valley. 4 hours of driving through trecherous mountain roads sees us through to the district headquarters of Kinnaur, RecongPeo. This small mountain retreat was where Lord Dalhousie pushed off to get away from the politics of Shimla. We are informed that there is an internet cafe in Peo and we decide to return to it tomorrow. Possibly this would be the last one that we will encounter before we hit Manali a week on from now, if we manage to make it through Lahaual Spiti part of the trip! We are hopeful. A couple of minutes drive from Peo lies Kalpa where we decide to halt for the night at the Shivling hotel. The rooms are comfortable and there is a TV. We cheer England on to their victory over Australia. A lite dinner ( lite for Senthil coz by now he is feeling quite a bit under the weather, a gorge for me on delicious Chicken curry topped up with VAT-69, nevertheless ) and so, on to bed. Current Mood: calm Current Music: Assorted Pahadi Folk Songs!

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September 18th, 2004

08:27 am - The hills are singing... no, not with just the sound of music. Plenty more make up the Shivaliks. Udates: 16th : 5.30 pm : Completed the MicroEco End Terms. 16th : 5.30-6.30pm : Mad scramble to pack. 16th : 6.30pm: On Qualis to Bhopal. 16th : 8.30pm: Stop in the middle of nowwhere to quaff down two bottles of Zingaro beer and one plate of mutton roast which I am 100% sure was anything but mutton. 17th :00.30am : Reach Bhopal. 17th : 1.30am-3.30am : Watched Red Dragon on someone's Lappie. Hannibal Lecter combines with Indian railway platform effusion to produce hallucinogic effects. 17th : 5.30am : Fooking train that was supposed to reach Bhopal at 3.30, finally chugs in. 17th : 4.30pm : Reach Nai Dilli. Missed connecting train to Kalka. Cousin available on platform. Land up in cousin's digs. Fucking fella is doing a B.Com - his dig has a fridge, a washing machine and around 126 empty beer bottles. 17th : 8.30pm : Purchase 1 bottle of VAT 69. To keep out the cold in the hills. 800 bucks. 17th : 9.30pm : Reach ISBT. Inter-State-Bus-Terminus. Pleasant memories waft up to remind me that in the summer of 98, i along with like-minded crazies of REC Warangal spent an entire nite at the holy outpost with zilch in our pockets, stealing food from the food stalls (yes, we actually did that) and then the glorious moment of realization when I wake up in the morning to a canine licking my face lovingly. 17th : 10pm : No fooking bus leaves for Kalka before 11.30 which would mean that we miss a second train (from Kalka to Shimla). Alternative plan of action activated: We (I am not alone, a textile engineer from deep south is giving me company on this trip. His name, appropriately enuff : St Hill. ( Senthil that is )) ( I am careful with closing brackets) catch bus to Le Corbusier's creation : Chandigarh. 18th : 3am : Reach Chandigarh. Need to get to Kalka before 5.30. Even fucking dogs are snoring at Chandigarh bus station. 18th : 3.30am : Auto driver offers his services. Kalka is around 30 kms from Chandigarh. After much haggling Auto driver instructed to step on the gas. Interesting events happen enroute : U get out of chandigarh and cross over to haryana : 2 police wallas collect entry tax from auto driver. U get out of Haryana and cross over to Himachal. Himachal police repeats Haryana police performance. 18th : 4.50am : Reach Kalka station. Hurried check reveals bones and bottle of VAT 69 intact. 18th : 5.30am : Shivalik Deluxe Express chuggs off. 18th : 6-10am : Stunning scenery. Dark Tunnels. beginning to feel the affects of not having slept since i dont know when. 18th : 10.15am : Reach Shimla. Porters scramble for my bag as if for a rugby touch down. 18th : 11.30am : Check in to RidgeView Hotel overlooking the infamous Mall of Shimla. There is no Ridge, as far as I can make out. 18th : 11.45am : VAT 69 bottle opened. 18th : 12.30pm : A bath and a drink later we are in the middle of the mall. Ruddy faces and lissome babes abound. 18th : 1.30pm : Indian Coffee House, Shimla. 2 dosas and 2 mutton cutlets brings back memories of Indian Coffee House, Bangalore. 2 coffees too. Funny how altitude increases appetite.... 18th : 2pm : Collect information at HPTDC office about how best to spend the next 10 days. Information aplenty. Roam around the mall, digesting dosas, cutlets and information, in that order. 18th : 4pm : Band Box Travels. Gentleman running the show used to sell tyres for JK Tyres in the hills of himachal. Now sells himachal to the rest of the world. 2 fags and 1 hour of discussion later we clinch a deal at 6000 bucks wherein he would arrange for our transportation to Chamling spread over a period of 6 days ( the intervening period will include a stay in a tibetian monastery, visiting a temple dedicated to Hidimba and generally plonking around in the Kinnaur and Spiti regions at altitudes above 3000 metres above Sea level ( my appetite is already rising ). The road it seems becomes a river at Chamling. And then we need to cross it. I dunno how. We will find out. After that the services of Band Box travels desert us. And we are in the middle of nowwhere. If we manage to survive the next few days and keep walking North West, we ought to hit Manali sometime. If I don't update this blog by 27th, mebbe I am dead. Or I have decided to become a Tibetian Lama. In either case, please do file a missing persons report. 18th : 4.35pm : Emerge out of Band Box travels. See a tall lady and a bald guy walking past. The whole of Shimla seems to be following the duo. Closer inspection reveals that afore mentioned tall lady is Sushmita Sen and bald gentleman is Govind Nihlani. Mad scramble to get out my camera. But I miss the Sen. Shit. Shit. Shit. But boy, is she something or what....I mean shez so fooking beautiful. At a distance of 10 metres. 18th : 5pm-9pm : Buy a jacket, a sweater, a pair of sun glasses, a topi, a pair of gloves and 16 batteries for the camera. I dont wannna run out of battery power. 18th : 9pm : Internet Centre closing. Gotta go. Current Mood: accomplished

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August 21st, 2004

05:30 am - Do NGOs take in wannabe MBAs as Summer Interns???? Dunno if this is the right place to put this up, but I want some information on NGOs in India/abroad offering Summer Internships for MBAs. I am searching on the net but I seem to be suffering from acute information myopia and am unable to get through to the right kind of information...mainly if the organisations actually take in summer interns and if so what kind of expectations do they have..... Reason for all this is that I have to do a summer training as part of my MBA programme here in IIM Indore between Apr-June, 2005 and I frankly do not relish the thoughts of spending those 2 months in some Bank or FMCG doing work which probably might look good on my resume but which I reckon will not add much value to me as a person. Also a thought has been bugging me for quite sometime that if I do not expirement now, I probably never will. As a consequence of all this I thought I might as well try to search for an internship on my own and make some kind of a start to that long slumbering desire of contributing in a small way to the overall scheme of things..... So all you people out here, in case you have any info on the same, please do drop a line. And in case you are wondering if there are some specific issues/organisations that I would be interested in, then let me inform you that I am willing to try my hand at anything.....so long as I believe in the cause. Current Mood: satisfied Current Music: Brand New Day - Van Morrison.

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August 18th, 2004

03:09 am - Travel Plans Date From To 16th Indore Bhopal 17th Bhopal Delhi Delhi Kalka 18th Kalka Shimla 19th In and around Shimla 20th Shimla Manali 21st In and around Manali 22nd ? 23rd ? 24th Manali Delhi 25th Dehi Agra 26th Agra Gwalior 27th Gwalior Khajuraho 28th ? 29th ? 30th Back to Indore Resources : Himachal Pradesh Tourism Madhya Pradesh Tourism Suggestions welcome. Please. Current Mood: determined Current Music: In memory of Elizabeth Reed - Allman Bros.

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August 12th, 2004

03:58 am - Psychic prison metaphor of an organisation.... ...suggests that our ideas about what constitutes efficiency are basically sexual. As we examine the bureaucratic organization....we should be alert to the hidden meaning of the close regulation and supervision of human activity,the relentless planning and scheduling of work, and the emphasis on productivity,rule following,discipline,duty and obedience. The bureaucracy is a mechanistic form of organization, but an anal one too. The more flamboyant,flexible,organic,innovative firms now making such an impact on the corporate world often call for a creative looseness of style that is quite alien to the bureaucratic personality. Freudian theory would suggest that the corporate cultures of these organizations often institutionalize various combinations of oral,phallic and genital sexuality. -Gareth Morgan, Images of Organization. There you have it. Freud kicks serious ass. Especially when it comes to Organizational Behaviour. Methinks I may like this course. or is it intercourse..... Current Mood: Intrigued Current Music: Motorpsycho Nightmare -Dylan

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August 10th, 2004

12:21 pm - Paparazzi catches Ur truly sleeping in class....

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12:15 pm - this is amazing...stealth camera in class!!

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August 4th, 2004

02:06 am - At the Sayaji Grande. Parties, there seems to be no end to them. This must be possibly the third fresher's party I have attended ever since my lot got linked up with IIMI's....there was the one at Ebony's in Bangalore and then there was the CulCom sponsored booze bing immediately after we hit campus and then there was this one, the official freshers, today at the Sayaji Grande. Our campus is located on the outskirts of Indore and the Sayaji Grande is embedded deep within Indore's skirts. Meaning: a 45 minute bus ride from the campus. This time of the year, the skies are cloudy and rains imminent, this part of the country. The bus is teeming with testosterone-high males and naturally we sing lewd Hindi songs all the way to le Sayaji. We were all supposed to don formals and ties and suits for the momentous occasion. The faculty also gets a dekko into the official fresher's night and hence everyone's all-a-straightening the ties and the ladies are in saris, somewhat gawky and all-a-tugging at their pallus. A PGP2 guy put it best "All mother****ers look decent in a suit". I felt that a pre-party exploration of the serene environs of the Sayaji Grande was called for. Well, narrow environs down to restaurants and then zoom in on the drinks menu. That was that. Party ain't started yet and the score read: Me-1 Bartender-0. And 10% off on the gross bill too. IIM Indore brand carries atleast some financial stick at the Sayaji Grande. And then I spot this young lady sipping a little something at one of the tables. And then she looks my way and calls out questioningly... "IIM Indore?". Hell! I look down hastily to see if I still have my name tag hanging out of some pocket or the other. ( Name tags and Class Participation go hand in hand, but more about that in another post). No, the name tag is not there. Then how? Possibly the lady is psychic. "Huh, yes..." "I am from the press. A local rag. I am covering the party tonite for the paper." She spoke in a tone reminiscent of Varsha Dutt reporting the carnage from Kargil. A sinking feeling sunk deep into my collective psychosis. A recent encounter that a few of my batch mates had with the press and the resulting confusion when a very distorted version of whatever they had recounted appeared in the local papers, has made me suspicious of the page 3 lot of yellow bellied journalists. Even if they happen to belong to the fairer sex. "Excuse me...i guess I am needed at the hall". The exit was fast. And smooth. Snakish, almost. And then I almost stumble onto this Prof. And at the last I-Speak session, this prof and myself had debated loud and long the origins and roles of religions and the clash of civilizations. And he too needed to be quickly evaded. So in the ensuing confusion of whether to go hither or thither, I landed up, by virtue of some warp in spatial dimensions, where I wanted to be. In the middle of the crowd. All concentration on the stage. Don't look left or right now. Who knows who is the greater danger.. the prof or the yellow-press. Dance. Skit. Dance: 3 males, 3 females. Next time I glance up, count reads 3 males 0 females. And then 2 males. And when I glance up the original count is restored 3 males, 3 females. Duh! I clap heartily. Rohan comes along and sings Tequila sunrise. I clap even more heartily. Any song mentioning tequila is worth a clap anyday. Diet Smoke, our inhouse band takes the stage next. And very suprprisingly hands out a self composed number. "Far from home". Very impressive, I must say. The PGP1 version of Diet Smoke is called predictably, Chota Smoke. Things round off with a round of free-for-all bhangra. And then gorge. And then the drive back. And I had just got back and was beginning to type this down, when I hear cries. And like Halley's comet, the cries seem to be growing in intensity each passing moment. And then realization dawns. Elections tomorrow. Campaigning is on full swing. I step out of my room and someone grabs my hand and moans energetically "Vote for me!. "Sure, but..." he hurriedly passes on to the next constituent. All I wanted to ask was his name. How da hell do I vote for someone I don't even know! And that reminds me. I am standing for Cul-Com. Cul. I mean, Cool. Campaigning: Zilch. Chances of getting elected: Slim. Only positive thing is there are 3 posts and 4 candidates. Mebbe I can murder someone tonite. Current Mood: contemplative Current Music: I Shall be free - Bob Dylan

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August 2nd, 2004

05:42 pm - ilife My current batch seems to be filled with quite a number of bloggers. The natural consequence of all this : Life at IIM Indore : The ilife blog We didn't take LJ becoz ilife was not available and everyone was pretty much fixated on that name!! Current Mood: bouncy

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July 30th, 2004

07:12 am - A view of the main building.

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07:08 am - The view from top... Am trying out posting from Flickr to LJ. If this one goes through, then the view is the one from the top of the hill that the institute is located in. Right now, its quite foggy and at night the sight is enchanting. The greenery reminds me of Assam...sigh! DSCN0633 Originally uploaded by cimmerian.

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07:00 am - Flickr This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

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July 26th, 2004

09:03 pm - Scary Life seems to be falling into some kind of a pattern out here.Sleep at 4, wake up at 8. Sleep all through class.Surprise Quizzes have lost their element of surprise by now. I expect one everyday now. Tried my hand at Volleyball the other day. After 6 years of physical inactivity, I was quite surprised to find the old service as deadly as ever. Block A beats Block D, 3 sets to 1. Designed a few ads for a Marketing Contest....I need to learn PhotoShop. Or atleast team up with someone who knows how to operate the damned thing. Managerial Accounting is fun. Its all Greek to me. The sheets never balance. Microeconomics rocks. For the first time in my life, I am actually studying something I am enjoying. Life maybe worth living after all.The hidden powers of Microsoft Word and Excel have been bared. Pivot Charts, Master Documents, Solver....gimme more. I have proved beyond reasonable doubt that 4 years of engineering were completely wasted on me. Quantitative Techniques where they use calculus and matrices and other geeky stuff that is supposed to be a cake walk for someone who has read Electromagnetic Waves is a perfect case in point. In the last quiz i scored less than Arts grads and doctors. Yes, there is a doc in our batch. Conducted a Quiz last week. Called it Gyaan. Little did I realize that Gyaan is what they use over here to refer to Pornographic stuff. Hastily redid some of the Qns and hey presto, the "Gyaan" quotient of my Quiz turned out to be a healthy 37.8% ( Formula: Qns with pornographic leanings/ Total Qns * 100). Not bad. Now tell me what reflectoporn is...... Elections coming up. Tonite I shall decide whether to stand for a post or not. The Cultural and Social Committee also arranges the booze parties. So a job-fit has been found. But can I garner the votes ? Some nefarious campaigning maybe in the offing!! Sept 21 we have a term break of 9 days. If I go home, I shall probably spend 6 of them on the road. So have decided to visit a few places in MP instead. Khajuraho, it of the erotic temples, features right up there on the wish-list. Lets see how things go. Party last saturday. Videos projected on a screen outside the mess and the regular Whiskey and Soda. I remember things till 1.30am on Sunday. From then on till 3pm on Sunday afternoon, I don't remember anything. It is as if I ceased to exist in that period. People tell me I had around 12 pegs ( this has been now confirmed by the bartender looking up his balance sheet) and then 4 guys had to carry me back to my room. I remember zilch. Scary. Really. Current Mood: naughty Current Music: In the living years - Mike and the Mechanics.

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July 10th, 2004

03:03 am - Water World As I sit here, typing this wearing nothing, for nothing is what i currently possess in terms of raiments, i suddenly realize that water can be as intoxicating as whiskey, especially if aimed properly. And then there is the Colgate on my scalp. Feeling cool. Really. Another IIMI tradition. The Water-fight. PGP-1 vs PGP-2. No quarters given. None asked for. Dryness is a sin. Buckets, water and colgate. Those are your weapons. People tell, sometimes jam too. Anything at hand that is miscible, theroritically. And then you bang on the doors. At 1 in the night. And then SLOSH. Thats what happened, atleast when i opened the door. And then like a fool i changed into a pair of dry clothes. Knock-Knock, again. SLOSH. And then, methinks, with the warfront having shifted to another block, nows the time to grab some tea in the mess. good idea except for the fact that the warfront had miraculously shifted back to the mess. SLOSH, again. After that it was pretty much SLOSH SLOSH SLOSH SLOSH SLOSH SLOSH SLOSH. And hence no more dry clothes. And thus I type this. Naked. Current Mood: Wet Current Music: Heavy Heavy Fuels.

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July 4th, 2004

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July 3rd, 2004

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June 27th, 2004

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June 25th, 2004

01:34 pm - An idle mind is the devil's workshop Came across beatzo's post on the Indian Spiderman. This was moi response. Part-1: The Drome Part-2: The Question Part-3: The Glossary I will try to post something before leaving the serene confines of Namrup. Maybe tomorrow..... Current Mood: accomplished Current Music: I am a man of constant sorrow - The soggy bottom boys

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