The Gest Commences

A new city, a new life, a new experience! Whooh...! Having settled down in the Penthouse, which by the way, is a fancy name given to IIT Bombay's Hostel No. 5 (much like the vaguely logical innovations put into everything else around here), and the first week of our internship at B.A.R.C. almost done, my friends and I had planned a weekend trip to some of the nearby sight-seeing spots, last Saturday. With the aid of nothing more than Google maps, we chalked out a rough plan for the day, improvising each step along the way.

First it was the Mahakali Caves, not too far away from Powai Lake. A bunch of run-down structures and carvings still hid some of the magnificence that this place might have once had. The sign read that, ages ago it used to be a Buddhist monastery, but with not much left standing, the hollow cavities in the immense rock-cut structure still entertained us as we heard the ghastly echoes of our voices reverberating within the caves. It also served as a safe haven for singers who wanted to rehearse in solitude, away from the buzzing streets of one of the busiest and most populated cities in India.

Then with the help of our tab, we made our way to a nearby Gurudwara, which other than being a popular religious gathering place for Sikhs, also served us with a free and yummy luncheon traditionally known as Langarh. We were ahead of schedule and so plans were made of visiting the world famous Iskcon Temple next.

With its marble-white walls adorned with colorful paintings, the Iskcon Temple seldom seizes to amaze. We attended the Arati before keenly examining all the effigies that bordered the main hall portraying the life of Lord Krishna, a Hindu deity. Regrettably enough cameras were not allowed inside the temple, but we made sure to capture the beauty of the Iskcon complex from within its premises. But the day wasn't done yet! Not by a long shot!

What better way to finish off such a stupendous day than an evening at Juhu Beach? Juhu is normally known for its posh people, and with every turn sporting a BMW, Audi or Mercedes, it lived up to its hype. Even young osculating couples and actors chilling in roadside coffee parlors weren't an uncommon sight. The beach was baking hot which prevented us from waiting till sunset. We meandered around a bit making full use of our cameras, before finally deciding to return to our humble abode at IIT Bombay.

But this was just the first day of the weekend! We still had the whole of Sunday to bring some of our other schemes to fruition. Although the daedal plans of the previous day had forced us to lower our aims, we did make it a point to visit Hiranandani, which is a fifteen minute walk from the IIT-B campus. We feasted at KFC and toured the whole vicinity. The western U.K. style decor and the geometric perfection put into the smallest details of every single lamp, fountain, garden and building seemed like a distinguished work of art. The Gateway of India, Marine Drive and some other prominent destinations near Colaba were postponed to a later date. So, what does Mumbai have in store for us next? Guess we'll just have to wait and find out...

Gearing Up...!

While a quick pit stop at Kolkata might not sound such an appealing idea at the peak of summer, it still proved to be a real stimulator. Meeting up with relatives and friends after what seemed like eons, and regrouping with my family, who had already come over to the city for attending a friend's marriage, was exactly what was needed after months of toil.

Whether it was strolling around the infamously labyrinthine Gariahat Market, a drive around the famous Eden Gardens Stadium or simply an evening walk down the banks of the Hoogli, it all seemed to take us to an arcadia far detached from our hot and humid bearings. The glamour of Park Street and a lavish dinner at Trincas were like a cherry on the pie to round off the last few hours of our stay in this bustling city.

Trincas which, I might add, has played a significant role in promoting upcoming singers over the years via its live music performances, was all part of the local folklore and the heritage of this amazing capital. Gazing at the parallel Howrah and Second Hoogli bridges, spanning across the Ganga's tributaries, made me think of the chimerical bridge being traversed by each one of us right now, joining our present to our future.

All in all it was a prodigious experience which has given me the required shot of adrenaline and helped me gear up for my much awaited intern at B.A.R.C. and a two month stay in the country's commercial capital. So I guess it's adios Kolkata, and Mumbai here I come!!!...  

The Howrah Bridge, glittering in all its glory

The Cessation

Another year elapses and although I have an innate feeling that the last semester will probably leave me high and dry, it wasn't a total slump. I've reached a ledge on a very steep cliff in my career and have been teetering on its edge for quite some time now. But that's alright! Navigating out of tough situations is not something completely new to me. Every day brings with it newer and fresher challenges and while you might conquer some, certain others might make you feel lucky to have gotten out unscathed. Times like this make me remember a famous quotation by Winston Churchill: "Success is not permanent, failure is not final, but its the courage to continue that counts!" But enough with that already! My Alma mater teaches me to be a professional, and solutions will reveal themselves in due course of time.

It feels good to have finally earned a breather as our taxing end semester exams come to a slow and grinding halt. So I thought of taking the time out to jot down all my aces and double faults. It has been quite a while since I last visited the blogosphere and a lot has transpired since then. Some of the noteworthy events include Technex'13, Anveshan'13, TEDx (where TED is a non-profit organisation to bring together people from Technology, Entertainment & Design, and the 'x' stands for independently organised TED event), and of course the job parties and farewell of the passing out batch, one year senior to us, at Taj.

Honestly, the last few months were shaping out to be some of the best in our entire college life, with some of my friends & I receiving an early offer letter from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (B.A.R.C), confirming our summer internship, just half way into the semester. But every thing might not always work out as planned, right?...

The semester ended on a vexatious note as some of the rote demanding subjects left our logical minds bruised and battered, as we made futile efforts to memorize hundreds of seemingly unrelated slides. Well, some things just can't be helped, but looking forward to finding greener grass under the sizzling Mumbai sun and the prospect of working in India's premier Nuclear Research Center is a thought which always welcomes us with open arms!...

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai