I miss things. I miss someone that I can talk to.
I miss that support.
I miss that supplementary backbone.
I miss that unconditional "I'm there for you"
I miss someone who'll tell me that I'm the best.
I miss someone who does not judge me.
I miss someone who I can identify by the heartbeat.
I miss someone who can identify me by my heartbeat.
I miss someone who loves me. Unconditionally.
Its amazing, this life. You are surrounded by people yet there is no one.
Why me?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
François Gautier is a french journalist and writer. I really appreciate his understanding about India and like his writing style. I am reproducing an article from him that appeared recently in rediff about the plight of brahmins in India. To read his other interesting articles, please visit this.
At a time when the Congress government wants to raise the quota for Other Backward Classes to 49.5 per cent in private and public sectors, nobody talks about the plight of the upper castes. The public image of the Brahmins, for instance, is that of an affluent, pampered class. But is it so today?
[Ripped from Francois Gautier's article in rediff]
At a time when the Congress government wants to raise the quota for Other Backward Classes to 49.5 per cent in private and public sectors, nobody talks about the plight of the upper castes. The public image of the Brahmins, for instance, is that of an affluent, pampered class. But is it so today?
There are 50 Sulabh Shauchalayas (public toilets) in Delhi; all of them are cleaned and looked after by Brahmins (this very welcome public institution was started by a Brahmin). A far cry from the elitist image that Brahmins have!
There are five to six Brahmins manning each Shauchalaya. They came to Delhi eight to ten years back looking for a source of income, as they were a minority in most of their villages, where Dalits are in majority (60 per cent to 65 per cent). In most villages in UP and Bihar, Dalits have a union which helps them secure jobs in villages.
Did you know that you also stumble upon a number of Brahmins working as coolies at Delhi's railway stations? One of them, Kripa Shankar Sharma, says while his daughter is doing her Bachelors in Science he is not sure if she will secure a job.
"Dalits often have five to six kids, but they are confident of placing them easily and well," he says. As a result, the Dalit population is increasing in villages. He adds: "Dalits are provided with housing, even their pigs have spaces; whereas there is no provision for gaushalas (cowsheds) for the cows of the Brahmins."
You also find Brahmin rickshaw pullers in Delhi. 50 per cent of Patel Nagar's rickshaw pullers are Brahmins who like their brethren have moved to the city looking for jobs for lack of employment opportunities and poor education in their villages.
Even after toiling the whole day, Vijay Pratap and Sidharth Tiwari, two Brahmin rickshaw pullers, say they are hardly able to make ends meet. These men make about Rs 100 to Rs 150 on an average every day from which they pay a daily rent of Rs 25 for their rickshaws and Rs 500 to Rs 600 towards the rent of their rooms which is shared by 3 to 4 people or their families.
Did you also know that most rickshaw pullers in Banaras are Brahmins?
This reverse discrimination is also found in bureaucracy and politics. Most of the intellectual Brahmin Tamil class has emigrated outside Tamil Nadu. Only 5 seats out of 600 in the combined UP and Bihar assembly are held by Brahmins — the rest are in the hands of the Yadavs.
400,000 Brahmins of the Kashmir valley, the once respected Kashmiri Pandits, now live as refugees in their own country, sometimes in refugee camps in Jammu and Delhi in appalling conditions. But who gives a damn about them? Their vote bank is negligible.
And this is not limited to the North alone. 75 per cent of domestic help and cooks in Andhra Pradesh are Brahmins. A study of the Brahmin community in a district in Andhra Pradesh (Brahmins of India by J Radhakrishna, published by Chugh Publications) reveals that today all purohits live below the poverty line.
Eighty per cent of those surveyed stated that their poverty and traditional style of dress and hair (tuft) had made them the butt of ridicule. Financial constraints coupled with the existing system of reservations for the 'backward classes' prevented them from providing secular education to their children.
In fact, according to this study there has been an overall decline in the number of Brahmin students. With the average income of Brahmins being less than that of non–Brahmins, a high percentage of Brahmin students drop out at the intermediate level. In the 5 to 18 year age group, 44 per cent Brahmin students stopped education at the primary level and 36 per cent at the pre–matriculation level.
The study also found that 55 per cent of all Brahmins lived below the poverty line — below a per capita income of Rs 650 a month. Since 45 per cent of the total population of India is officially stated to be below the poverty line it follows that the percentage of destitute Brahmins is 10 per cent higher than the all–India figure.
There is no reason to believe that the condition of Brahmins in other parts of the country is different. In this connection it would be revealing to quote the per capita income of various communities as stated by the Karnataka finance minister in the state assembly: Christians Rs 1,562, Vokkaligas Rs 914, Muslims Rs 794, Scheduled castes Rs 680, Scheduled Tribes Rs 577 and Brahmins Rs 537.
Appalling poverty compels many Brahmins to migrate to towns leading to spatial dispersal and consequent decline in their local influence and institutions. Brahmins initially turned to government jobs and modern occupations such as law and medicine. But preferential policies for the non–Brahmins have forced Brahmins to retreat in these spheres as well.
According to the Andhra Pradesh study, the largest percentage of Brahmins today are employed as domestic servants. The unemployment rate among them is as high as 75 per cent. Seventy percent of Brahmins are still relying on their hereditary vocation. There are hundreds of families that are surviving on just Rs 500 per month as priests in various temples (Department of Endowments statistics).
Priests are under tremendous difficulty today, sometimes even forced to beg for alms for survival. There are innumerable instances in which Brahmin priests who spent a lifetime studying Vedas are being ridiculed and disrespected.
At Tamil Nadu's Ranganathaswamy Temple, a priest's monthly salary is Rs 300 (Census Department studies) and a daily allowance of one measure of rice. The government staff at the same temple receive Rs 2,500 plus per month. But these facts have not modified the priests' reputation as 'haves' and as 'exploiters.' The destitution of Hindu priests has moved none, not even the parties known for Hindu sympathy.
The tragedy of modern India is that the combined votes of Dalits/OBC and Muslims are enough for any government to be elected. The Congress quickly cashed in on it after Independence, but probably no other government than Sonia Gandhi's has gone so far in shamelessly dividing Indian society for garnering votes.
The Indian government gives Rs 1,000 crores (Rs 10 billion) for salaries of imams in mosques and Rs 200 crores (Rs 2 billion) as Haj subsidies. But no such help is available to Brahmins and upper castes. As a result, not only the Brahmins, but also some of the other upper castes in the lower middle class are suffering in silence today, seeing the minorities slowly taking control of their majority.
Anti–Brahminism originated in, and still prospers in anti–Hindu circles. It is particularly welcome among Marxists, missionaries, Muslims, separatists and Christian–backed Dalit movements of different hues. When they attack Brahmins, their target is unmistakably Hinduism.
So the question has to be asked: are the Brahmins (and other upper castes) of yesterday becoming the Dalits of today?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Electronic Dance Music Demystified
OK for all you dunderheads who think that EDM is all about repetitive beats, and it all 'sounds the same', here's some gyaan to enlighten ur $@#$@#$ minds.
What is EDM?
EDM is electronic music that is produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment. The music is largely created for use by disc jockeys and is produced with the intention of it being heard in the context of a continuous DJ set; wherein the DJ progresses from one record to the next via a synchronized segue or 'mix'.
Electronic dance music is a broad set of percussive music genres that largely inherit from 1970s disco music. Such music was originally borne of and popularized via regional nightclub scenes in the 1980s. By the early 1990s, the presence of electronic dance music in contemporary culture was noted widely and its role in society began to be explored in published historical, cultural and social science academic studies.It is constructed by means of electronic instruments such as synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers, and generally emphasizes the unique sounds of those instruments, even when mimicking traditional acoustic instrumentation. It sometimes encompasses music not primarily meant for dancing, but derived from the dance-oriented styles.
Since around the mid-1980s, electronic dance music has enjoyed popularity in many nightclubs, and, as of 2006, is the predominant type of music played in discothèques as well as the rave scene. As such, the related term club music, while broadly referring to whatever music genres are currently in vogue and associated with nightclubs, has, for some, become synonymous with all electronic dance music, or just those genres — or some subset thereof — that are typically played at mainstream discothèques. It is sometimes used more broadly to encompass non-electronic music played at such venues, or electronic music that is not normally played at clubs but that shares attributes with music that is. What is widely considered to be club music changes over time, includes different genres depending on the region and who's making the reference, and may not always encompass electronic dance music. For example, as of 2006, hip hop music, being widely played in clubs, is one form of "club music" to many, but a smaller percentage would describe it as being a form of electronic dance music. Similarly, electronic dance music sometimes means different things to different people. Both terms vaguely encompass multiple genres, and sometimes are used as if they were genres themselves. The distinction is that club music is ultimately based on what's popular, whereas electronic dance music is based on attributes of the music itself.
Genres of EDM:
There's no specific division as such, but ill attempt to make it as simple as possible.
The following divisions are possible:
Division 1 : Slow/Downtempo - 90 to 120 bpm
SubGenres included : Trip Hop, Chillout, Ambient, Psybient, Minimal Electronica
Artistes : Thievery Corporation, DJ Shadow, Moloko etc.
Examples :
Division 2 : Fast/Uptempo - 120 bpm upwards
Ok ill further divide this into three parts - Techno, House and Trance:
Part 1 : Trance
Contrary to Popular belief, Trance doesnt 'sound the same', but is as varied as any genre can get.
To get an idea, listen to
and then listen to
What is EDM?
EDM is electronic music that is produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment. The music is largely created for use by disc jockeys and is produced with the intention of it being heard in the context of a continuous DJ set; wherein the DJ progresses from one record to the next via a synchronized segue or 'mix'.
Electronic dance music is a broad set of percussive music genres that largely inherit from 1970s disco music. Such music was originally borne of and popularized via regional nightclub scenes in the 1980s. By the early 1990s, the presence of electronic dance music in contemporary culture was noted widely and its role in society began to be explored in published historical, cultural and social science academic studies.It is constructed by means of electronic instruments such as synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers, and generally emphasizes the unique sounds of those instruments, even when mimicking traditional acoustic instrumentation. It sometimes encompasses music not primarily meant for dancing, but derived from the dance-oriented styles.
Since around the mid-1980s, electronic dance music has enjoyed popularity in many nightclubs, and, as of 2006, is the predominant type of music played in discothèques as well as the rave scene. As such, the related term club music, while broadly referring to whatever music genres are currently in vogue and associated with nightclubs, has, for some, become synonymous with all electronic dance music, or just those genres — or some subset thereof — that are typically played at mainstream discothèques. It is sometimes used more broadly to encompass non-electronic music played at such venues, or electronic music that is not normally played at clubs but that shares attributes with music that is. What is widely considered to be club music changes over time, includes different genres depending on the region and who's making the reference, and may not always encompass electronic dance music. For example, as of 2006, hip hop music, being widely played in clubs, is one form of "club music" to many, but a smaller percentage would describe it as being a form of electronic dance music. Similarly, electronic dance music sometimes means different things to different people. Both terms vaguely encompass multiple genres, and sometimes are used as if they were genres themselves. The distinction is that club music is ultimately based on what's popular, whereas electronic dance music is based on attributes of the music itself.
Genres of EDM:
There's no specific division as such, but ill attempt to make it as simple as possible.
The following divisions are possible:
Division 1 : Slow/Downtempo - 90 to 120 bpm
SubGenres included : Trip Hop, Chillout, Ambient, Psybient, Minimal Electronica
Artistes : Thievery Corporation, DJ Shadow, Moloko etc.
Examples :
Division 2 : Fast/Uptempo - 120 bpm upwards
Ok ill further divide this into three parts - Techno, House and Trance:
Part 1 : Trance
Contrary to Popular belief, Trance doesnt 'sound the same', but is as varied as any genre can get.
To get an idea, listen to
and then listen to
So thats trance. There are different genres, and you can possibly write an entire blog post on each one of them. Anyway, here are the main genres and major artistes in each genre:
Ambient Trance: ATB, BT, Chicane
Hard Trance: Darude, Technikal
Progressive Trance : (The Most Popular, other than psychedelic) : DJ Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, BT, Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold
Happy/Uplifting Trance : Above and Beyond
Psy/Goa Trance : Psy can be mixed with any of the above to create PsyProg, PsyHard and so on, but generally Psy trance is generally characterised by hypnotic and mesmerising melodies, basically music that takes you 'higher'.
The Big Guys in this Genre are Infected Mushroom, Skazi, Astrix, Shpongle
Part 2: House
House Music is markedly different than trance, in the sense that it is more 'danceable', has more pronounced and deeper beats. Most House songs are vocal, and thats another difference.
House Music has similar subgenres, the most popular of which is again Progressive House.
Major Artistes Include Benny Benassi, Bob Sinclair, Axwell, Deep Dish etc.
Part 3: Techno
These are more electronic sounds, and i really dont listen to Techno much so i wouldnt want to give gyaan about it.
Techno is different from trance as it sounds more electronic, or produced by the computer.
So anyway, thats that. If you guys are want to know more, there's Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music, which can be found here
Saturday, April 18, 2009
The Things we forgot
Today I saw a kid using a coin box....and it set me thinking...when was the last time I used one? I cant even remember...things have changed, and how! I remember there used to be a coin box outside school, and I used to call moms office if there was no one to pick me up. Communication has become so easy now, that isnt even possible to think about communicating like we used to before.
Calling someone was so much of an ordeal, there werent any cellphones! I guess as time progresses, we are going to lose the virtue of patience completely. Today I cant wait for five minutes below a friends house without calling him to find out if he's left. I cant walk my dog if im not talking on the phone. When bored, pick up the phone and yap away to glory. I do it, but it isnt really a great thing.
I think in the last ten years, things have changed so much it isnt funny. Remember the dial up connection? 100 hours pack for a grand? Now you get a 2 Mbps unlimited line for one grand.
Remember downloading an Mp3 on a dial up? Three hours. You can download a movie in that much time now.
That Nokia Cordless? The first Pizza Hut? The first Multiplex? The joy of buying Tommy and Gucci in your own neighbourhood? Boy, have things changed!
Calling someone was so much of an ordeal, there werent any cellphones! I guess as time progresses, we are going to lose the virtue of patience completely. Today I cant wait for five minutes below a friends house without calling him to find out if he's left. I cant walk my dog if im not talking on the phone. When bored, pick up the phone and yap away to glory. I do it, but it isnt really a great thing.
I think in the last ten years, things have changed so much it isnt funny. Remember the dial up connection? 100 hours pack for a grand? Now you get a 2 Mbps unlimited line for one grand.
Remember downloading an Mp3 on a dial up? Three hours. You can download a movie in that much time now.
That Nokia Cordless? The first Pizza Hut? The first Multiplex? The joy of buying Tommy and Gucci in your own neighbourhood? Boy, have things changed!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Nonsensical Post
Ok I like blogger better than facebook...so here goes
1. Last beverage? Thums Up
2. Last phone call? Urvashi
3. Last text message? Disha
4. Last song you listened to? Love in an Elevator, Aerosmith
HAVE YOU EVER:
1. Dated someone twice? Yes
2 Been Cheated on? No
3. Kissed someone & regretted it? Yes
4. Lost someone special? Yes.
5. Been depressed? Yes.
6. Been drunk and threw up? Yes, so many times :P
LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS:
Blue
Black
White
Silver
HAVE YOU:
1. Made new friends? Yes
2. Fallen out of love? Yes
3. Laughed until you cried? Tons of times
4. Met someone who changed you? I change people, people dont change me...Answer is no
5. Found out who your true friends were? Yes
6. Found out someone was talking about you? Yes
7. How many people on your facebook friends list do you know in real life? All of them
8. How many kids do you want to have? Two...one boy and one girl
10. Do you have any pets? yes, a Labrador and four strays
11. Do you want to change your name? No
12. What did you do on your last birthday? Surprise birthday party at 12...everyone got me drunk on morrisons, woke up at one in the afternoon, nice lunch and partied till six in the morning the next day.
13. What time did you wake up today? 10:30 am
14. What were you doing at midnight last night? Watching 21 all over again
15. Name something you CANNOT wait for? getting done with college.
16. Last time you saw your father? Ten mins back
17. One thing you wish you could change about your life? Nothing
18. What are you listening to right now? Back By Any Demand - Sander Van Doorn
19. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? No
20. What's getting on your nerves right now? The fact that i cant attend the orientation
21. Most visited webpage? Facebook or Wikipedia
ABOUT YOU:
1. What's your name? Kaushik
2. Nicknames? Cow, Cowshit...thats about as insulting as it gets
3. Relationship Status? Single :D
4. Zodiac sign? SCORPIO!
5. Male or female or trans gendered? Male
6. Hair color? Black
7. Long or short? Normal
16.. Height? 6' (one cm short :-()
17. Do you have a crush on someone? Dunno....
18: What do you like about yourself? Adaptability
19. Piercings? Ears pierced at age of 2 months
20. Tattoos? None
21. Righty or lefty? Righty
FIRSTS :
22. First surgery? Fractured Leg, 9th standard
23. First piercing? at the age of 2 months
24. First best friend? Lekha Raman
26. First sport you joined? Swimming ( I still cant swim)
27. First pet? Oliver, a dachshund...and a stray i used to call loobri..
28. First vacation? Kerala...i just have pictures, when i was 2 years old
30. First crush? Dont remember :-)
RIGHT NOW:
49. Eating? Lays
50. Drinking? Thums Up
52. I'm about to? Sleep
53. Listening to? Dave Matthews Band - Crash into me
55. Waiting for? Mom to get back home, and a friend to call back
YOUR FUTURE :
58. Want kids? How many times are you going to ask?
59. Want to get married? yes
60. Careers in mind? Branding and promotions...but i really dont know for sure
WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
68. Lips or eyes? Eyes
69. Hugs or kisses? Kisses
70. Shorter or taller? I dig shorter women
71. Older or Younger? Older
72. Romantic or spontaneous? Spontaneous
73. Nice stomach or nice arms? Nice stomach
74. Sensitive or loud? sensitive
75. Hook-up or relationship? Relationship anyday
77. Trouble maker or hesitant? Trouble maker
HAVE YOU EVER :
78. Kissed a stranger? Yes
79. Drank hard liquor? Yes
80. Lost glasses/contacts? Zillions of times
81. Sex on first date? Im not telling
82. Broken someone's heart? Yes
83. Had your own heart broken? Yes...
86.. Turned someone down? Yes
87. Cried when someone died? Yes...
DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself? Totally
90. Miracles? Completely
91. Love at first sight? NO
92. Heaven? I believe that what you do down here will reflect on your after life. You figure it out
93. Santa Claus? No.
95. Kiss on the first date? If the girls right up there, then yes
96. Angels? Never really thought about it...
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one person you want to be with right now? No
98. Who is it? NA
99. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? No
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? No, as just a nonsensical post
1. Last beverage? Thums Up
2. Last phone call? Urvashi
3. Last text message? Disha
4. Last song you listened to? Love in an Elevator, Aerosmith
HAVE YOU EVER:
1. Dated someone twice? Yes
2 Been Cheated on? No
3. Kissed someone & regretted it? Yes
4. Lost someone special? Yes.
5. Been depressed? Yes.
6. Been drunk and threw up? Yes, so many times :P
LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS:
Blue
Black
White
Silver
HAVE YOU:
1. Made new friends? Yes
2. Fallen out of love? Yes
3. Laughed until you cried? Tons of times
4. Met someone who changed you? I change people, people dont change me...Answer is no
5. Found out who your true friends were? Yes
6. Found out someone was talking about you? Yes
7. How many people on your facebook friends list do you know in real life? All of them
8. How many kids do you want to have? Two...one boy and one girl
10. Do you have any pets? yes, a Labrador and four strays
11. Do you want to change your name? No
12. What did you do on your last birthday? Surprise birthday party at 12...everyone got me drunk on morrisons, woke up at one in the afternoon, nice lunch and partied till six in the morning the next day.
13. What time did you wake up today? 10:30 am
14. What were you doing at midnight last night? Watching 21 all over again
15. Name something you CANNOT wait for? getting done with college.
16. Last time you saw your father? Ten mins back
17. One thing you wish you could change about your life? Nothing
18. What are you listening to right now? Back By Any Demand - Sander Van Doorn
19. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? No
20. What's getting on your nerves right now? The fact that i cant attend the orientation
21. Most visited webpage? Facebook or Wikipedia
ABOUT YOU:
1. What's your name? Kaushik
2. Nicknames? Cow, Cowshit...thats about as insulting as it gets
3. Relationship Status? Single :D
4. Zodiac sign? SCORPIO!
5. Male or female or trans gendered? Male
6. Hair color? Black
7. Long or short? Normal
16.. Height? 6' (one cm short :-()
17. Do you have a crush on someone? Dunno....
18: What do you like about yourself? Adaptability
19. Piercings? Ears pierced at age of 2 months
20. Tattoos? None
21. Righty or lefty? Righty
FIRSTS :
22. First surgery? Fractured Leg, 9th standard
23. First piercing? at the age of 2 months
24. First best friend? Lekha Raman
26. First sport you joined? Swimming ( I still cant swim)
27. First pet? Oliver, a dachshund...and a stray i used to call loobri..
28. First vacation? Kerala...i just have pictures, when i was 2 years old
30. First crush? Dont remember :-)
RIGHT NOW:
49. Eating? Lays
50. Drinking? Thums Up
52. I'm about to? Sleep
53. Listening to? Dave Matthews Band - Crash into me
55. Waiting for? Mom to get back home, and a friend to call back
YOUR FUTURE :
58. Want kids? How many times are you going to ask?
59. Want to get married? yes
60. Careers in mind? Branding and promotions...but i really dont know for sure
WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
68. Lips or eyes? Eyes
69. Hugs or kisses? Kisses
70. Shorter or taller? I dig shorter women
71. Older or Younger? Older
72. Romantic or spontaneous? Spontaneous
73. Nice stomach or nice arms? Nice stomach
74. Sensitive or loud? sensitive
75. Hook-up or relationship? Relationship anyday
77. Trouble maker or hesitant? Trouble maker
HAVE YOU EVER :
78. Kissed a stranger? Yes
79. Drank hard liquor? Yes
80. Lost glasses/contacts? Zillions of times
81. Sex on first date? Im not telling
82. Broken someone's heart? Yes
83. Had your own heart broken? Yes...
86.. Turned someone down? Yes
87. Cried when someone died? Yes...
DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself? Totally
90. Miracles? Completely
91. Love at first sight? NO
92. Heaven? I believe that what you do down here will reflect on your after life. You figure it out
93. Santa Claus? No.
95. Kiss on the first date? If the girls right up there, then yes
96. Angels? Never really thought about it...
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one person you want to be with right now? No
98. Who is it? NA
99. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? No
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? No, as just a nonsensical post
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Dev D Review
Heres a Review i wrote for the Pune Student Chronicle. Its quite late, but what the hell!
http://punestudentchronicle.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/devdas-reduxed/
http://punestudentchronicle.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/devdas-reduxed/
Monday, January 19, 2009
Disclaimer: This is not a case of sour grapes.
This is my CAT/ MBA Entrance story so far.
Since I was in the 8th grade I have been thinking about doing an MBA. Initially it started with Harvard, but as time passed I realised that an MBA abroad is need-based and not mandatory(as postgraduate courses are) in India. I started as early as last year, to be precise September 2007. My brother in law is from IIM Bangalore, and told me how to go about things. Till date he has been helpful, but I feel really bad because 2 out of the 3 people he has mentored got into an IIM. The guy who did not get into one is me.
There were about 3,50,000 people who get give the CAT, last time I checked. These 3,50,000 people include Engineers, Teachers, BBA, BCom, You-Name-the-course-and-you-have-it. Out of these 3,50,000 people, 0.03% people get into an IIM. Thats against the 14% acceptance rate of Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu).
CAT essentially has three sections : VA/RC (English); DI(Data Interpretation); QA(Quantitative Ability/Math). Being an Engineer im supposed to be good at Math, but the truth is I suck at it. I did study my ass off though, maybe not enough to get a 99, but definitely to get a 90+. So then I joined a class, a private one because I was sure that I wouldnt study in an IMS or a TIME. I attended class religiously, stayed there all day, managed to study, missed out on a whole lot of fun, just thinking that maybe these four months would guarantee a better life afterward.
In the mocks, I have got anywhere between an 80 to a 99.9. Every Sunday, I gave a mock. As a result, my weekends were fucked. Everyday, I had class for about 8 hours. As a result, I didnt go out in the week. I never complained.
I think more than the exam, it is the hype, the discussion and the oh-CAT-is-so-difficult phobia that makes the exam what it is. On CAT day, I felt as if I was going to fight a war. People who i would never expect to even talk to me msged and wished me luck. I think possibly every person I knew called. I went for the exam. Did well in English, and DI. Thought id done well in Quant. Came home.Checked the answer key. Result : I was fucked in Quant. Like really badly. Doggy Style.
I did not know what to do next. There was a barrage of exams though , and to be precise : IIFT, SNAP, NMAT, XAT, FMS. Here are the acceptance ratios :
People Appearing : Selected
IIFT : 60,000 : 180
SNAP : 80,000 : 360 (SIBM+SCMHRD)
NMAT : 40,000 : 240
FMS : 60,000 : 60
CAT Results came out. I got a 93 something. MDI gone, IMT gone, all IIMs gone.
I gave IIFT. Got 27.xx according to the keys. Calls were issued at 28.
I gave XAT. Got 99+ in all sections except quant. Overall 99.xx. Missed Quant cut off for XLRI by 1(ONE) mark!
Gave SNAP. Got 77. Today the SCMHRD results are out. People got calls at 65. I did not get one at 77. My friend says its 'profile based'. So here's my profile :
10th : 83
12th : 58
Engineering : 61 (Thats top 10% of the department)
Ive done every extra curricular activity, from quizzing to debating to organising an International Level Competition to Rescuing Dogs.
My friend says its the 12th marks.
I say my 'profile' makes up for it, and isnt everyone allowed to screw up once?. My friend says that there are possibly people with better profiles, and better marks than you.
Maybe.
The point im trying to make is, are there just too many people in the race? You might just shrug me off as an angry and he-dint-make-it-so-he-is-cribbing student, but then its really something that you might want to think about. I guess how much ever people might say, it doesnt matter if you are a good quizzer or care about people. It doesnt matter that you are a good person, and you have more real time experience than the geek sitting next to you. It doesnt matter if you are the most popular guy, it doesnt matter if you have the ability to strike up a conversation with a random person without thinking twice. It doesnt matter if you have done more in college, learnt more than anyone you can think of. The only thing that matters - MARKS. I guess tangibility is the name of the game. No one can possibly gauge or measure the number of friends ive made, the experience that I have, or my crisis management skills. No one cares that I was handling four events and college and still managed to get a disti that sem. No one cares that we went all out against 50 non engineering teams in MUNA. No one cares about Robocon. Hell, I guess the admissions guy does not even know what Robocon is. No one cares that I headed the sponsorship team and got money. No one cares that as early as in my first year, I chaired a debate final, organised a freshers party(and made money out of it), got into a fight, got back to college to compere for an event, met the director for UNESCO work, and then went out for dinner, all in the same day.
I am hopeful. There are still some other colleges, who do not look out for profiles and only marks, and my marks for those colleges are good. Im hoping.
God help me. I think its about time I get rewarded for the hard work I have put in. Please give me what I want. Sincere appeal.
This is my CAT/ MBA Entrance story so far.
Since I was in the 8th grade I have been thinking about doing an MBA. Initially it started with Harvard, but as time passed I realised that an MBA abroad is need-based and not mandatory(as postgraduate courses are) in India. I started as early as last year, to be precise September 2007. My brother in law is from IIM Bangalore, and told me how to go about things. Till date he has been helpful, but I feel really bad because 2 out of the 3 people he has mentored got into an IIM. The guy who did not get into one is me.
There were about 3,50,000 people who get give the CAT, last time I checked. These 3,50,000 people include Engineers, Teachers, BBA, BCom, You-Name-the-course-and-you-have-it. Out of these 3,50,000 people, 0.03% people get into an IIM. Thats against the 14% acceptance rate of Harvard Business School (www.hbs.edu).
CAT essentially has three sections : VA/RC (English); DI(Data Interpretation); QA(Quantitative Ability/Math). Being an Engineer im supposed to be good at Math, but the truth is I suck at it. I did study my ass off though, maybe not enough to get a 99, but definitely to get a 90+. So then I joined a class, a private one because I was sure that I wouldnt study in an IMS or a TIME. I attended class religiously, stayed there all day, managed to study, missed out on a whole lot of fun, just thinking that maybe these four months would guarantee a better life afterward.
In the mocks, I have got anywhere between an 80 to a 99.9. Every Sunday, I gave a mock. As a result, my weekends were fucked. Everyday, I had class for about 8 hours. As a result, I didnt go out in the week. I never complained.
I think more than the exam, it is the hype, the discussion and the oh-CAT-is-so-difficult phobia that makes the exam what it is. On CAT day, I felt as if I was going to fight a war. People who i would never expect to even talk to me msged and wished me luck. I think possibly every person I knew called. I went for the exam. Did well in English, and DI. Thought id done well in Quant. Came home.Checked the answer key. Result : I was fucked in Quant. Like really badly. Doggy Style.
I did not know what to do next. There was a barrage of exams though , and to be precise : IIFT, SNAP, NMAT, XAT, FMS. Here are the acceptance ratios :
People Appearing : Selected
IIFT : 60,000 : 180
SNAP : 80,000 : 360 (SIBM+SCMHRD)
NMAT : 40,000 : 240
FMS : 60,000 : 60
CAT Results came out. I got a 93 something. MDI gone, IMT gone, all IIMs gone.
I gave IIFT. Got 27.xx according to the keys. Calls were issued at 28.
I gave XAT. Got 99+ in all sections except quant. Overall 99.xx. Missed Quant cut off for XLRI by 1(ONE) mark!
Gave SNAP. Got 77. Today the SCMHRD results are out. People got calls at 65. I did not get one at 77. My friend says its 'profile based'. So here's my profile :
10th : 83
12th : 58
Engineering : 61 (Thats top 10% of the department)
Ive done every extra curricular activity, from quizzing to debating to organising an International Level Competition to Rescuing Dogs.
My friend says its the 12th marks.
I say my 'profile' makes up for it, and isnt everyone allowed to screw up once?. My friend says that there are possibly people with better profiles, and better marks than you.
Maybe.
The point im trying to make is, are there just too many people in the race? You might just shrug me off as an angry and he-dint-make-it-so-he-is-cribbing student, but then its really something that you might want to think about. I guess how much ever people might say, it doesnt matter if you are a good quizzer or care about people. It doesnt matter that you are a good person, and you have more real time experience than the geek sitting next to you. It doesnt matter if you are the most popular guy, it doesnt matter if you have the ability to strike up a conversation with a random person without thinking twice. It doesnt matter if you have done more in college, learnt more than anyone you can think of. The only thing that matters - MARKS. I guess tangibility is the name of the game. No one can possibly gauge or measure the number of friends ive made, the experience that I have, or my crisis management skills. No one cares that I was handling four events and college and still managed to get a disti that sem. No one cares that we went all out against 50 non engineering teams in MUNA. No one cares about Robocon. Hell, I guess the admissions guy does not even know what Robocon is. No one cares that I headed the sponsorship team and got money. No one cares that as early as in my first year, I chaired a debate final, organised a freshers party(and made money out of it), got into a fight, got back to college to compere for an event, met the director for UNESCO work, and then went out for dinner, all in the same day.
I am hopeful. There are still some other colleges, who do not look out for profiles and only marks, and my marks for those colleges are good. Im hoping.
God help me. I think its about time I get rewarded for the hard work I have put in. Please give me what I want. Sincere appeal.
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