Black Pepper

The week long marathon has finally come to an end.
6 days , 6 papers and 100 marks each. I thought VTU was bad, this is like the worst ever. Especially when all the papers have questions that you have totally no clue about. Its a big pain when questions are not handpicked from the text book, its not the usual mugging and vomiting theory/sums like how I did in Btech. Its way tougher and I realised that I should have spent more time reading concepts that would stay for longer in my head than just for a 3 hr paper. All previous memory has been erased by default and now I am just tugging along trying to remember all the matter that is necessary for the next two years.

Anyways after I was done with my exams I had been to this restaurant called Black Pepper on Rajpur rd, Dehradun. I dont have a pic of the dishes we ordered nor do I have a pic of the interior. All I can do is paste a copy I found online, thanks to Google Images. So we had this awesome Rogan gosht ( Mutton ) with Roti followed by a Chicken Biriyani. The former was out of the world, I havent had something even slightly close to the Mutton curry in years. Biriyani I would say is ok, not the typical Andhra style you get back in the south and the one I am so used to. Still aww about it. Price was pretty reasonable considering its the best in the city, atleast thats what I'v heard. I would definitely go back here.




Image source : Google Images

Ambience : 4/5
Taste : 4.75/5
Service : 3.75/5
Price : About Rs. 275/-

Over Hyped

I just woke up from sleep and all I want to do is run back to Blore. Weekends at Doon get very monotonous and boring,lack of civilization and socialization bugs me a hell lot. Now I am certain as to why I dont like Kerala/Gulf. Its the same factor, lack of enough socialization. Atleast when I keep comparing it to Bangalore I know the difference. I cant believe its been 2 months since I got here and very soon it will be the end of the semester. I am hoping the next 1 year goes by quickly,manage a project in a city maybe. Arrgh.

The CWG has finally kicked off and unfortunately wont be able to see the crowd and the arrangements due to the mid sem exams starting next week. Not that I am really interested in sports but for the hype! Talking about hype two things come to my mind, one being the Ayodhya matter which settled down with no big a deal. This kind of decision and verdict they could have given years back than pushing it to the very end where people would have actually gone mad and maybe we would have had a nation wide bandh for 2-3 days. I think UPES still will be on a roll with classes as we stay way far from the city for anything to affect us.

Another hyped up matter would be a guy and a girl in a relationship. I thought we moved long back from the age old cultures/tradition that a guy/girl cant like/love any other girl/guy till they are forced into an arranged marriage. Not necessary that such marriages should last even nor am I saying that love marriages do but atleast they shouldnt be treated that its the worst thing you can do. Not agree for an arranged marriage. I dont think when a guy meets a girl or gets talking its necessarily going to lead into a relationship so how does he decide to stay away. You might be hearing parents telling you stay away from girls! I mean what kind of crap is that!? Now its the age where people say even if you like a girl its ok but please stay away from guys. How will this sound 'Mom and Dad I like a guy' and 'Mom Dad I like a girl'. Better sounding yeah! Atleast you are not going against the indian values in the society/neighbourhood. They'll probably treat you an outcast of you say that you are gay. Just coz your son/daughter being a hindu falls in love with a Muslim how does it make a difference!? Why is it such a big deal afterall. Arent they f*ckin humans. Why do educated people behave to keep their relatives and society happy. When such things happen in movies, everyone will nod and say 'Yes Yes this is also right' but being put in that situation they dont want to go through such decisions.Marriage/Love is not coming together of the whole family tree including relatives and their relatives.If it works that way good or else atleast keep your kids happy if thats what they want and not go against it. I have heard of people disowning their kids just coz they didnt agree for an arranged marriage or because they fell in love with a guy/girl of their choice. Pathetic!


Next post after Midsem!
Sayonara!:)

Conversation with the Dean

When professors at UPES told us on the day of orientation that we are going to have a lot of free time but that will be spent in the library I totally didnt believe that. Even back in BE days teachers said similiar things but it so happened that I didnt know where the library was when I was asked to pick up a No Dues Certificate to get my final sem hall ticket. Now the scenario has changed so drastically that I find myself in the library every single day of the week,reminds me of the daily temple visits when I was a kid.

A class conversation :

Dean: So have you'll done the assignment?!

Class: ( Forced silence... and more silence )

Dean : So I presume that you'll havent done it so instead of taking the assignment once again back home, lets have it done right away. Please right down the MESH equations for Multi Stage Multi Component Distillation.

Class : ( Everyone's holding their pen and then looking to the next fellow sitting beside him for a clue )

I was about to the same and then I notice that Ankur is already looking into my notes expecting me to do some magic. We didnt remember Binary distillation so lets not even talk about something bigger than that.

( After ten minutes )

Dean : So tell me the MESH equations

Class : ( No one is speakin but still pretending to scribble something in their notes )

Dean : (Sigh) Ok so here are the notations for a start, I want you'll to bring the same on Saturday.We'll have class from 2-5. So when can we have the test ?!

Class : Sir, we have tests lined up for the coming week already.

Dean : If you'll are under the assumption that you'll are going to read over night and give the test you'll can forget about clearing the test. So we'll have it on Tuesday then.

Blah!

The whole excitement of new university,new place,hostel,etc has settled down and the crux of the whole scenario is finally here. Course is getting tougher by the day and can actually feel the tension building. Now I know for sure that it will be a rollercoaster ride ahead.

Mid sem exams coming up in October second week, all the more worry.

Sayonara! Next post after a while.

Bizzare Thermodynamics

I have finally managed to find the time to sit down to blog.Regular days I dont get time or rather feel too lazy to sit and type, I am doing this now while I am suffering from Conjunctivitis. My eyes are like blood shot but then I gave them enough rest throughout the day and dont want to spend one more day doing nothing other than sleeping ( though thats something I totally enjoy ). So where did I leave you'll last ?!

Guess I was bragging about the new change in life, university, hostel,etc etc. Slowly things have pretty much settled down and its more or less like any other hostel when it comes to the food. Once your taste buds get used to it, then you dont enjoy the chicken/paneer. Everything tastes the same now and I have developed a complete aversion to the mess chicken for sure. The rules and the regulations in the hostel have eased out a lot,except the fact that you cant return late at night. Firstly they dont allow, secondly transportation to this part of the world is cut out after 7pm! I miss Bangalore all the more now, I miss seeing the hustle around, traffic all over, people screamin and ofcourse the easy access to junk food. The only good thing would be loss of weight here, not that I intended to but yet guess once you enter into hostel life thats bound to happen.

Coming to the classes,its pure magic. Somethings come out from nowhere on the board and then just disappear after some formulas are put in.Integration/Differentiation, they are here to trouble me all my life. Transport Phenomena subject is purely imaginary, thats what the sir says. Its upto you how you perceive things. The art of mugging has to be re-polished to conquer this subject. Dean walks into class every other day, speaks something related to the problems in the industry. We on the otherhand are clueless what he is talking bout, keep lookin at everyone around and its kinda amusing when you see blank looks all over. Lets say you ask him a doubt then he moves into more bizarre explanation, leading to even more shocked expressions. Best is yet to come, Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics. Its the 'Baap' of everything. There are certain things that you try to comprehend while you are being taught in class but here its like an unknown language. We can see him mime , thats all. Just today I realised that back in BMS, GN Rameshiah taught us Thermo. He didnt know jackshit nor taught us anything at the root level, end result more blinking at a Masters level. Petroleum and Math is something that can be handled, I dont want to mention about CRE for now.I'll have a dedicated post on that soon ;)

Lets leave all this aside, soon things are going to make sense like it always did. I can hear Mayank saying ' Hoga Rahul, hoga '. Thats the mantra that will be strictly followed for the next two years.

And Bangalore, I will see you in November for Diwali.

UPES , Dehradun

Pic : University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun.

Its been exactly two weeks since I got here ( Dehradun ) and I must say that this place is good. I do miss home and everythin/everyone in Blore but guess I should manage pretty well till I finish my course in Mtech Process Design Engineering. Will I be able to manage the course?! Thats a question , I dont have an answer yet but yes I have a hope I will.

Right now I am staying in Doon Scholars Boys Hostel in a place called Bidholi Village, its about 1km or maybe a lil more from college. Made a couple of good friends in the hostel and I am not too sure about the ones in college, I mind my own business when I get to the University.I'll try and keep it that way from now on. At times its a pain to walk in the noon because its very sunny and towards the early evenings it starts to drizzle, a lesser pain in the ass coz we hostelites here always carry an umbrella.We've been cautioned by the faculty members that the course is hectic and very tedious.We would probably cry and beg for a break once it starts in full swing, I am sure that will be the case as there are hardly a few who can actually recall the basic foundation knowledge in any subject related to their course.

Anyways, in due course of time I will be back to mention how hectic and do-able the course is.Until the next post..

My Flickr Photostream - For more Dehradun pics and Random Photography.

cheers.

Bye BANGALORE...

So here I am finally feeling more than just upset that I have to leave my favourite city, Bangalore. All this while I was under the notion that I am more of the easy to adapt kind and will have nothing to be sad about when I take the flight this sunday morning to Dehradun. I was wrong, I am so wrong. I can now feel the vacuum within me and its such a bad feeling altogether. I dont know what I am going to miss the most when I say bye.Will it be my grandmum,friends,city or something more significant in my life than all this...

Bangalore will never be the same without that very significant factor.Crap! I have a lot to get used to when I get there. Once again the usual round of classes, attendance, new friends, usual tiffs with people, cramming from the thick books and maybe one major problem - the climate. Either I'll get used to it or else I'll forever crib about it and wait eagerly to be done with 2 years.I'll just be a lil optimistic and say one and a half years.I'll try and get my project somewhere in the south or atleast Mumbai.


I hate the uncertainity involved thinking about when I'll get back to Blore.During my schooling years, I never hated the gulf.I am not talking about any place in particular, I was used to that kind of lifestyle. When I had to leave,I had mixed feelings but in a way happy I am coming back to India finally.I liked chemistry right from 10th and then yes ofcourse I picked up Chemical.My intention was never to go back to the middle east again though there is maximum demand and paycheque.I like to stay where my roots are, if not in the city I am used to but at the least in India.I am scared to go back to the gulf,what if I get used to the job/life there or even worse what if I dont want to come back for a decade?! I dont even want to try to work there for 2 months.In a way I am very glad I didnt have to go back there but still unhappy about a few things.On a larger perspective I know this was the best I could have opted for and a decision that came through right on time. I dont know if this was bound to happen coz I dont believe in fate and that god decides things for you. I've always believed that if you can push things to move your way it will happen and like someone in the past said 'Work is worship' and not endless prayers without effort.

I want to say so much more right now but I am restricting myself,helpless maybe.I'll keep it for some later day in the far future.I'll miss coming back home to my grandmum,wish I didnt have to go this far.I'll miss few of my friends but guess thats something I can manage.I wont take names at the moment nor mention anyone in particular.

. . . . . I'll miss you :'(

For now so much, I dont know if I'll come back for a final post before I leave blore.If I dont, I will post next from my hostel in UPES, Dehradun.

PS : I almost forgot to mention, I got my Canon as a gift :).. Thank you very much! :D



- Canon SX 120 IS -

Sayonara!

Every dream is real..

Dreams feel real while we're in them...It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange - I N C E P T I O N



One of the most hyped up movies to release this year, its finally out in theatres. People are flocking all over just to see this for all the hype.Has it lived up to the hype?! Yes, indeed. Even if you have some great expectations from this movie, you wont end up disappointed. you expect something and then you lose your mind once the movie starts.End of the show you will walk out of the theatre slightly lost, still having a few doubts here and there. Its all a part of the whole story and such feeling is totally normal.Pay attention right from the start and dont bother running to the stall to pick up your popcorn/pepsi.Once you lose the flow, you are as lost as the characters in the movie.


Very surprisingly there was absolute silence in the theatre.Everyone was so damn engrossed that no one actually spoke I think.After the final scene is over you will hear things like 'holy crap, that was really crazy!'. I said it myself.Christopher Nolan has once again proved that he is just Awesome! Having given the world hits like 'The Dark Knight' , 'The Prestige' & 'Memento'.


Leanardo Di Caprio, wonderful job! For once he didnt light a fag in the movie.

Overall Verdict : 4.9/5

Must watch, avoid talking throughout the movie.Even popcorn munching might be distractive,guess thats unavoidable.



In the meantime I watched a few more movies.




Eclipse : 3rd movie in the Twilight sage, boring! They should avoid making the 4th for sure.Robert Pattinson or whatever his name is cant act. Kirsten stewart's acting is something beyond my tolerance after this flick.Taylor Lautner does his part pretty ok.

Overall rating : 2/5 ( Avoid )







The Killers : Though the title sounds like its going to be an action flick,its more to do with comedy and drama. I really enjoyed this one,light hearted flick.If I had a tub of popcorn it would have been better but sadly I was home and watched it on my laptop.

Overall rating : 3.5/5


I Hate Luv Storys : After watching this you will really hate the fact that you spent money and watched it in the theatre,I thought Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani was bad.This is another big flop.Sonam's voice is squeeky and Imran does his usual nonsense same like the one in Jaane tu ya Jaane na.Only such roles suit him ofcourse,he is bad in them too.

Overall rating : .75/5 ( Even if anyone pays you for watching this,avoid !! )



I am yet to watch Knight and Day, heard good reviews.Will watch it soon.
I'll get back to my camera survey for the time being.Until the next post ;)

Sayonara!