Mirror, mirror on the wall / Who in the land is fairest of all...

A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtue of each one is living.
- Rudolf Steiner

I admit, I didn't know who Rudolf Steiner  was.. And no, I did not come across this quote by chance.. I actually hunted for this.. Why you ask? Because I had to pen down my gratitude to someone for reviving my love for reading newspapers again...

It's been a long time since I stopped my habit of reading the newspaper (in the morning or anytime during the day or even the week)... And it didn't have to do completely with just the fact that I was staying away from home and that we didn't buy papers where ever I stayed... It was more than that.. I was disinterested in knowing the biased opinions of "leading" newspapers.. And it started to seem that all news were "sensational".. frankly, it was sometimes simply hard to digest.. waking up everyday to read about theft, rape, murder, large-scale accusations, natural calamities killing hundreds, corruption in lakhs (and evidently lakhs of crores too - which did make me wonder about the number system and how many zeroes that actually meant and the nagging doubt that if a person could actually swindle lakhs of crores, how come we still have a National debt? I mean, where does all this money come from? Or go, for that matter!). In short, the day had already started with a messed up mind.. And you start looking at the world as the cruel monster.. trying to kill you.. that it might pounce on you any moment... The constant fear that you will end up as the butt of these very things.. or worse, you would be one of them...

But, off late, I have regained my urge to wake up every morning and "know" the news.. No, I am not trying to increase my general knowledge for the IAS or some other exam/ quiz.. I really do "want" to read the news..
And all that changed thanks to Bangalore Mirror (BM)

I know what you are thinking... (especially if you have read BM).. You want to know whether I am actually serious.. or whether reading too much BM has affected my brain thus impairing my judgment.. Yes and No.. Yes I am serious.. And No, this is no ill effect...

Let me explain why... Ever since I started reading BM, I have realized this subtle difference that it has over other newspapers (some "leading" ones included).. this subtle superiority, if I might go so far as to say... And it is because of this... Every morning I wake up to headlines like ‘For God’s sake, I’m not Upendra. this is not his number’, No single malt, no parking, Upendra, Puneeth owe traffic dept Rs 400 & Rs 200, Elderly man reunites with kin, thanks to kindness of strangers etc. etc. etc. It doesn't matter what the headlines is... it always seems trivial...

And I think to myself, is that the worst that has happened? And suddenly, the world seems much safer... you don't worry as much and the day begins on a good note (most of the times humorous).. you are more relaxed and you can take in the rest of the news more calmly... and that's what sets BM apart.. that it manages to deliver the news.. but in a less alarming way... like the watchman in 3 Idiot who keeps shouting "All izz well".. and yes, all does seem well...

And just for that (and since no one else will do it) I hereby present the best newspaper award to Bangalore Mirror (claps and whistles please!!!)

And BM - Thank you for making me read the news again...

For all those who still think BM is useless, you will soon see the light of things... till then, here is a funny quote so that you don't return empty handed from here:

I busted a mirror and got seven years bad luck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five.
- Steven Wright

Placement Story – Part 1

Warning: Huge Post! Impatient readers, please refrain from continuing further!

Well, I warned you... Here I go...

The first company to come in was C (now K, after C bought K... and yes, the name change from the parent company to the child company for greater visibility is beyond my comprehension too!). Anyways, the on-campus placement came in at the end of my 6th semester which was unheard of in my region. And boy, were we happy! The prospect of getting ourselves placed in a MNC and that too in the 6th sem itself was very lucrative and everyone had their eyes on this.

The unfortunate part is that only 4 - 5 (out of abt 49) from my class were eligible for it. Totally 130 ppl approx. eligible from the whole college. The D day came and we were all nervous. With total lack of preparation on my part (except for wearing a tie), I reached college by 9. The first round was Apti and I just wrote whatever I could. When we came out, all of us were made to sit in a room and asked to write a one pager on the best thing that we liked about the college. I wrote some stuff up and we had to go the next round of GD. 10 ppl in each group and I was part of the first group in, for GD. The HR team gave us a warm introduction and congratulated us for making it to the next round and asked if there were any questions. Immediately one of the guys present in my group asked why they choose non-IT dept students into an IT company. The HR responded that they have other categories such as testing where non-IT ppl are used. And then one of the HR said “That’s actually a good question. That’s the topic for your GD. Should non-IT resources be allowed into IT companies or not”.

Here, I need to make a mention of the group present. My luck showed itself again by making sure that all of them present were one of the most outgoing students in the college (guys & girls who participate in various contests and symposiums and host competitions etc. in short, ppl who could talk well). With a time limit of 8 mins and 10 different ppl willing, and more importantly, completely capable to talk, I thought my chances were already sleek.

Anyways, when the HR said start, at least 4 of us (including me & the guy who had posed the question and unwittingly gave them a topic) tried to start. We immediately stopped with a nervous smile and asked the guy who had posed the question to start (after all, it was his topic!). Well, that turned out to be a blunder… he started talking two points and whenever I tried to take it up, someone else started and I just couldn’t cut in.

Everyone was trying to be neutral and gave two points each and that’s when one girl present strongly suggested that non-IT ppl shouldn’t be allowed on the grounds that it affected the placement opportunity of pure IT ppl to get jobs. I took that chance and said some two points about how non-IT ppl have dual advantage of taking up a job in both IT and non-IT and that job placement should be on merit irrespective of specialization. 3 of us noted that it was time to complete and tried to conclude things with the result that one girl gave an ending. And so ended the GD. The HR said “Other than the name I call, others move on. And the name is *****”. We all stood still, not understanding whether all of us except that one girl are disqualified or whether it was the opposite. Looking at our confused faces, the HR repeated “The girl didn’t get through. All others get ready for Tech and HR rounds”. With a collective heave of self evident sigh of relief (which was so much that we didn’t even try to console the girl), we hurriedly dispersed for lunch. By the time I went to my class I got back my tongue and started to tell my eager friends about the progress of things and then went off to my dept. staff room to recite what happened.

There I found at least 5 ppl with books in hand asking something or the other to the staff and not letting them eat their lunch in peace. I saw my fav maam sitting there and went to her. She asked “So Vivek, I guess you went to the next round too. So what questions do you want to ask?” That’s when I realized that everyone was actually bugging them for last minute “General Knowledge” questions pertaining to computers. For ex. “What are the differences between C and Java” “What are the different types of Sorting Algorithms” etc. And I was the only not asking anything. Not that I knew them all. I just didn’t know what to ask. So just gossiped with the staff and went back to the placement hall getting ready for the Technical round.

The short listed candidates were made to sit outside our seminar hall... And there too almost everyone was busy with books in their hands... Once again I had to sit idly talking to staffs that chanced to pass by and the volunteers who were helping in the recruitment...Soon the tech round started and ppl started getting more and more impatient with some saying that we should brush up on sorting algorithms and Fibonacci series... Eventually my turn came up and when I went in I was greeted by a nice middle aged man... he asked me to sit down.. asked my name.. father's name and asked the first question.. "How would you find the second largest number from a set of numbers".. I was expected to give only the pseudo code which I felt was quite easy.. just told him that I would first get the input on the number of numbers and use two for loops to sort and store in an array and print the value in the second place in the array... and he just kept looking at me... I started wondering whether I had made a mistake or was plain primitive in my method.. but to  my surprise, he smiled and said that was exactly what he wanted... seems a girl had previously tried to use lots of ifs to compare and then get the second largest number and had used up the full sheet and still hadn't got the answer right... phew.. what a relief.. and right when I started to feel comfortable, he asked the next question - what are the types of sort that I knew.. damn.. i shud have listened to ppl outside and just brushed up on these... I recollected 2 -3 from deep within my mind, all the while silently praying he doesn't ask me to explain how the sort works... luckily he didn't... and then.. somehow perceiving that I was squirming in my seat, he asked me to explain Fibonacci series... I told him how it works and he said I could go... for a sec, I was disappointed... I mean, that's all? oh well... like they say, never look a gift horse in the mouth... left the room and waited in an empty class to know the results... I was thru to the next round - HR interview...


Well, to complete the tech round, it took 2 more hours.. all this while I was just sitting in the class room looking out for ppl I knew and in the process made a few frnds too... by then the Assistant TPO saw me, called me out angrily and asked what I was doing in the class.. he very sternly told me that I could get disqualified for talking to ppl who have completed the tech round.. and I told him that I cleared the tech round... the change of expression on his face was really worth the scolding... I realized then that I was not the only one who had under-estimated myself...

Soon it was time for the HR interview.. I was one of the first persons to go in.. And I was shit scared.. I didnt know what they would ask.. what I was supposed say.. what was the "right" thing to say... And the interview started.. "what's your name" "what's your father's name" "what is your father"... normal questions.. until I told him that my dad used to work in Corporation Bank... and the next question was a stunner.. "does your father know Mr.X" well, there was no way I would know who all my dad knew... and I said that... he said that Mr.x worked in Mumbai too... and I said, i still wouldn't know.. and then the with a grave face he asked "are you okay if we post you in Bangalore".. i immediately said yes (which for some reason surprised him) "but are you okay to stay away from your family?" and I said "but I am already staying away from family. so it doesnt matter" "But you wont be able to meet them often" "i dont meet them often now either.. besides, bangalore is near, i can always come and meet once a month"... "so you r flexible wid d location?" "yes i am.. any place".. some more random questions and again "u r sure u r comfortable wid postings in chennai or bangalore?" after another reassuring yes, the round was over.. i didn't know what to think... just came back to the class.. and waited for more ppl to finish the round...

At around 8 PM, the results were announced and I was one of the ppl selected.. i was just jumping wid joy... 26 ppl selected... and I was one of them.. one of the first to get placed in 6th sem... my joy knew no bounds... we all said all the best to each other.. and started walking towards the college gate.. i called my mom to tell the good news.. "Mom, I got into C!" "thats nice.. congrats.. did u hav ur dinner?" "Mom, I said, I got placed! in C!!!" "yes, i heard u.. its quite late, eat something.. dont sleep on an empty stomach" that was my typical mom reaction.. thats one thing abt her which I think I got... the ability to not go to extremes.. whether it be happiness or sadness... that kind of "level-headedness" is something that i always strive to get.. dad said congrats too.. and thats abt it.. i guess the only person who was very excited was my bro... he was happy that I got it.. and asked me to ask for posting in Bangalore so that we could stay together...

about that time, a frnd and a professor from hostel came out.. saw me talk excitedly on the phone... got the news, congratulated me and forced me along for a stupid Ajith movie.. but hey, i was too happy to let that get me down...


No matter what ppl say, no matter if i didn't join C and no matter how many other placements i got after that, C would always be close to my heart.. the first time i got placed.. the feeling was just exhilarating.. a profound joy... an immense pride... a boost of confidence... thanks C.. and m sorry I didn't join u guys...


Note: This just took too long and m starting to lose interest.. so the other two stories may not come anytime soon... besides most of my frnds hav heard it twice, so I think I will give it a rest for now...