Convocation series - Vijay, Snehal & Vivek

I had written the next series of posts a long time back (way back before convocation happened, sometime around October 2008), but somehow never ever published. I can't even remember why. Anyway its due and am posting these old posts now.

p.s. I am not editing anything at all here.

Vijay

If there is one person from our class that I actually thought I should become friends with, then its Vijay. The fact that I knew close to nothing about him, bugged me a lot. He was almost like a Phantom. Whatever little I knew was from Snehal, who was his junior from Architecture College. And for two years he remained almost like that, a great person to talk to and unburden yourself but very little of the ‘conventional’ friendship developed between us. We hardly worked on any project together while we were in NID (something which did upset Pavan also) and I guess that was unfortunate. However, I always look forward to meeting this super guy! I have tremendous belief that he would do something extraordinary in life and it would be smart to be close to him, so that when limelight comes his way, I can also bask in it!

Snehal

Snehal was a perfect classmate. I remember she actually gave me a gift for my birthday – a chocolate smelling candle which I initially thought was a cake, and was quite surprised when it wasn’t (unfortunately I didn’t give her anything on her birthday and she discontinued this rather nice tradition). Apart from that I was always welcome in her room (when they were in A hostel) and it was rather necessary also as we did so many projects together. She along with her daughter (Muzayun, of course) always kept a close eye on any of my physical contacts with the opposite sex (even an innocent hug would not be spared) and would then pull my leg over it for months! I always wanted to visit her home in “Nashik’ as I somehow think that the food there would be really amazing, but could never manage it during NID days. I know that she disapproved of a lot of things, but ignored most of them most of the time. Oh and yes, she always frowned upon my flirting with her daughter!

Vivek

He would be by far the smartest in our class if only he would lose those extra kilos. He was in the class but always away from it as well. His outlook to friendship was extremely cosmopolitan and he had friends everywhere. He was one of the few from our class who was equally great friends with the GDPD junta from our batch as well. I saw little of him, especially in the trips we planned as a class. I guess rather than being indifferent, he was more detached to our idea of ‘dosti’! But he was always helpful in all possible ways. I remember actually asking to be a part of the only project we did together in NID – Space Ergonomics, though it didn’t turn out the way I thought it would. I guess I know little about him, but enough to like him a lot.

Read about Abhishek, Divya & Bhavin, Sanjeev, Shweta & Devesh, and Kiran, Pavan, Mousumi & Mahesh.

Read more posts on Convocation Series here.

Flamingo dance/ Weddings/ Disaster

One of the most challenging things about attending an Indian marriage is the dance that precedes the actually marriage ceremony, especially if you belong to the groom's side. One requires special training in a sort of dance, which curiously reminds one of desperate flamingos dancing to attract the females and failing badly. This usually happens in the baraat and no one is generally spared, most of the times not even the groom.

Men and sometimes women look not only funny (and of course 'wannabe flamingos'), but also become the centre of attraction for the onlookers. A very entertaining site indeed, if you are not a part of the flamingo pack!

Of course there are varieties of birdies running and jumping around on the road ahead of the poor ghodi! There are some trained ones, Abhishek Singh and Vivek Bangde types, who dance confidently and lead the flamingo pack. Pro marriage dancers like them are needed to save the pack. Then there are some like Mahesh, who dance in their own world. They don't care even if the female flamingo doesn't look at them, they are like sufis...aiming for direct connection with the almighty with their flamingo dance (though its rather difficult to explain why the do this in a baraat). Then there is another type which dances for a second and then goes back in the background (clicking snaps, screaming to make conversations with fellow dancers, messaging on phone and so on); Vivek Amberkar falls in this category. And then there are some really stupid ones, who insist on dancing all through the baraat, without any idea of what they are doing, jumping around like ducks let loose on a beach trying to fly off, when chased by beach dragons - I am a certified member of this gang, maybe Bhavin also comes close. We are the funniest to watch but still insist on dancing - aankhir yaar ki shaadi hai!

There is nothing more embarrassing than looking at your own video dancing in a baraat. The only way to avoid this is by avoiding the baraat itself, a monumental task by itself! Of course one also has to then bear the wrath of the groom/ friends/ family etc.

I am looking for suggestions on how to make the most of this flamingo dance in the next wedding I attend. Are there coaching classes for something like this? In Ahmedbaad, maybe? I am willing to go to Mumbai also to master this art, provided someone is willing to help a log of wood like me. Any suggestions?

Convocation series - Convocation 2008!

We were already in the twilight zone, and looking up I could see huge wings flying towards their homes, making a lot of noise. That beautiful noise, it could always tingle our senses in the endless evenings in NID. I could look at myself quite unlike those birds, not flying towards home but getting convocated to leave the home and go outside...

Anyway enough philosophy. I just got back after a jiggling a leg or two at the mess party (yes a 'mess party' after a long time) and saying a goodbye to an almost drunk, dancing Mosh. In fact dancing on the small collection of tables was rather challenging...with Vijay and Mahesh jumping on both the sides! I could remember dancing in the first mess party and I wanted to finish NID with one last dance, and am extremely glad that I could. In fact everything I did today was a profound act...even peeing in the loo near the thinking tree. Ah...that brings me back (is it?) to the actual event...Convocation 2008!

I could never imagine how wonderful it would feel to be sit there in those red cushioned chairs in front of everyone. All the ceremony that I earlier found fanciful, made quite an impact on me (well..lets just ignore the speeches for now) and I felt damn important (despite the absence of a Chief Guest or our own ED). No matter how much I try, I will never ever able to describe it.

Of course, it feels great to be a certified (hahahahaha) designer...and who wouldn't want to be a 'young' designer at 28!

Its late and my office starts early, so I got to sleep now! Will write much more tomorrow...

The series shall continue for a while in retrospect...

some more pics here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52799&l=6b99c&id=649116157

Convocation series - Almost there!

Its a new dawn, and everyone at the home is sleeping. I just got back from the NID and now am wondering what to do next. It was quite a day...amma dna papa came from home in the morning as well as almost all the classmates (except Muzayun and Devesh who are currently in Milan). We had our shoot, dress rehearsal for the big day followed by Convocation dinner with everyone and then a long night ahead which included sitting in the back fields for a long time, taking rounds on the design street, cups of chai in the mess, super-duper adult talks, some funny pics, some maska bun at 4 am in the main lawns on the convocation chairs, and finally Kiran singing some exceptionally demented songs at 5:30 am! We were a big part with Snehal, Mousumi, Bhavin, Vivek, Sanjeev, Vijay, Kiran, Pavan (nano) and me and by the time we dispersed it was only Snehal, Sanjeev, Bhavin, Vijay, Kiran and me.

Of course we all missed Muzayun and she has always been such an important part of all such class gatherings...her loud laughter and her even louder (and wilder) comments. Devesh was also duly missed. There was Vivek with us after a long time and I enjoyed his extremely corny jokes...

Convocation series - Alias

Well this was the first and the only 3D learning software taught in NID to us, and all we did was this. Pavan broke numerous chairs, Rani's phone got stolen (aha) and people faught over the silliest of things :) Truly a perfect PD course!

The video quality is terrible and movements abrupt and uncomfortable to the eye...completely my style :)